Yes, Legion Field is still standing — and still hosting games. Nearly a century after it opened in Birmingham, Alabama, the stadium known as “The Old Gray Lady” remains one of the Deep South’s most storied football addresses, even though its marquee tenants have long since moved on to newer venues.
This guide covers everything people search for about Legion Field: its current seating capacity, its decades as a home of the Iron Bowl, the 1996 Olympic record it still holds, what events it hosts today, and the practical details — bag policy, parking, and getting there — you need if you’re actually headed to a game.
Quick Answer
Legion Field is still standing in Birmingham, Alabama, and still in active use. Its current seating capacity is approximately 71,594, down from a historical peak of roughly 83,100 before a 2005 renovation removed the east-side upper deck. It no longer hosts the Iron Bowl or UAB’s home games, but it remains the longtime home of the Magic City Classic, local high school football, concerts, and other large-scale events.
Legion Field at a Glance
Legion Field sits at 400 Graymont Avenue West in Birmingham, Alabama, and has been owned and operated by the City of Birmingham since it opened on November 19, 1927, with an original capacity of about 21,000 seats. The inaugural game saw Howard College (now Samford University) beat Birmingham-Southern College 9-0.
Today the stadium seats approximately 71,594, a figure that has held steady since the 2005 removal of its east-side upper deck. At its largest, in the early 1990s, Legion Field held roughly 83,100 fans — a capacity it briefly matched again during the 1996 Olympics. The venue is nicknamed both “The Old Gray Lady” and, for decades, “The Football Capital of the South.”
Is Legion Field Still Standing — and Still Used?
Legion Field has not been demolished and has no demolition plans on record. The City of Birmingham continues to fund maintenance and capital improvements, including recent investment in restroom expansion, stadium wall repairs, and roofing work on adjacent facilities.
It’s also still actively used, just not as the city’s primary stadium. Since Protective Stadium opened downtown in 2021 and UAB football relocated there, Legion Field’s role has shifted from marquee college venue to community and special-event stadium. It hosted flag football at the 2022 World Games, continues to host Birmingham-area high school football, and remains booked for concerts and festivals in addition to its signature annual game.
The Iron Bowl’s Longtime Home — and Where It’s Played Now
Legion Field is where the Iron Bowl, the Alabama–Auburn rivalry game, lived for most of the 20th century. The teams played there annually from 1948 through 1988, then intermittently in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1998 as the schools began rotating home games to their own campus stadiums. The last Iron Bowl played at Legion Field was in 1998, an Alabama win. Alabama kept playing other home games at Legion Field for a few more seasons, with its final game there coming on August 30, 2003, against South Florida, before the Crimson Tide moved all home games permanently to Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa starting in 2004. Across the series, Alabama holds roughly a 32–15 edge over Auburn in games played at Legion Field.
If you’re searching for where the Iron Bowl is played now: it alternates each year between Bryant-Denny Stadium on Alabama’s campus in Tuscaloosa and Jordan-Hare Stadium on Auburn’s campus in Auburn. Legion Field hasn’t hosted the rivalry game in over two decades, but its 40-plus years as the neutral-site home of the Iron Bowl is central to why it earned the “Football Capital of the South” nickname in the first place.
A Century of Southern Football History
Beyond the Iron Bowl, Legion Field served as a home field for the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, UAB Blazers (from UAB’s 1991 football debut through the 2020 season), Samford Bulldogs, and Birmingham-Southern Panthers. It also hosted the SEC Championship Game in 1992 and 1993, and it remains the longtime home of the Magic City Classic, the Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M rivalry game that has been played there since 1946.
The stadium had a run in professional football too, serving as home to the Birmingham Americans, Birmingham Stallions, and Birmingham Fire across several now-defunct leagues. Its playing surface has changed repeatedly over the decades, moving from natural grass to Poly-Turf and AstroTurf before returning to grass and, more recently, FieldTurf.
Olympic Spotlight: The 1996 Atlanta Games
During the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Legion Field was selected as a preliminary soccer venue. A United States vs. Argentina match set the stadium’s all-time attendance record at more than 83,000 spectators — still the largest crowd Legion Field has ever held, and a rare moment of global spotlight for a stadium built seven decades earlier for Southern college football.
Legion Field Events Today
The biggest annual date on Legion Field’s calendar is the Magic City Classic, billed as the largest HBCU classic in the country; the 2026 matchup between Alabama State and Alabama A&M is set for October 31, 2026, drawing tens of thousands of fans plus a full weekend of parades and tailgating around the stadium.
Outside of Classic weekend, Legion Field hosts Birmingham-area high school football games throughout the fall, along with concerts, band competitions, and community festivals scheduled through the city’s parks and recreation department. It’s worth checking the official Legion Field Stadium page for the current event calendar before you plan a visit, since dates and bookings change year to year.
Planning Your Visit: Bag Policy, Parking & Getting There
Bag policy: Legion Field enforces a clear-bag policy for major events. Approved bags are limited to clear plastic bags no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″ or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch; backpacks, purses, diaper bags, and fanny packs that don’t meet those rules are turned away at the gate. Medical-necessity bags are allowed as an exception. Confirm current prohibited-items details for your specific event before you go.
Parking: On-site parking at Legion Field is limited and sells first-come, first-served on game day, typically in the $20-per-vehicle range for large events, with no tailgating permitted in the main stadium lots. For big draws like the Magic City Classic, the city runs a shuttle system from remote lots — parking at those satellite locations is free, with a modest round-trip shuttle fare, and children typically ride free. A traffic perimeter goes up around the stadium on game day, so plan extra time if you’re driving in.
Getting there: Legion Field sits just off I-59/20 at Graymont Avenue West, a few minutes from downtown Birmingham. There’s no rail transit directly to the stadium, so most out-of-town fans drive in or use rideshare; for high-traffic events, dropping off a few blocks outside the game-day perimeter and walking in is often faster than trying to drive to the gates.
For the current schedule, exact prices, and gate times for any specific event, check the official Legion Field Stadium page, which is run by the City of Birmingham’s Parks and Recreation department.
Best Seats and Game-Day Tips
Legion Field is an open bowl with limited roof coverage, so there’s little shade regardless of where you sit — plan for sun protection at day games. Lower-level sideline seats generally offer the best sightlines to the field, while seats near midfield on the press-box (south) side tend to be the most sought-after for marquee games like the Magic City Classic. Arrive early for big events: gates and the surrounding security perimeter can create longer entry lines than the stadium’s size might suggest.
Accessibility
Legion Field offers ADA-accessible seating and accessible entry points; the stadium’s official page links to the city’s ADA accommodations information, and the venue office can be reached directly at (205) 254-2391 for accessibility questions tied to a specific event.
Photos
Team-color face paint in a twist-up stick — no brushes, no mess in the car.
Sized to the NFL's 12x6x12 clear-bag rule. Fits snacks, a jacket and a rally towel.
A see-through purse that looks like a purse. Works for most stadium, arena and concert bag policies.
Legion Field stadium FAQs
Is Legion Field still standing?
Yes. Legion Field remains standing in Birmingham, Alabama, nearly a century after it opened in 1927, and the city continues to invest in its upkeep.
Is Legion Field still used?
Yes. While Protective Stadium has taken over most of UAB’s and the city’s major events since 2021, Legion Field still hosts the annual Magic City Classic, high school football, concerts, and other large community events.
What is Legion Field’s seating capacity?
Legion Field currently seats approximately 71,594 fans, down from a historical peak of roughly 83,100 in the early 1990s before a 2005 renovation removed the east-side upper deck.
Does the Iron Bowl still get played at Legion Field?
No. Legion Field hosted the Alabama–Auburn Iron Bowl annually from 1948 to 1988 and sporadically through 1998, but the rivalry game itself moved away for good after that. Today it alternates between Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.
What events are held at Legion Field today?
The Magic City Classic (Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M) is the stadium’s marquee annual event, alongside Birmingham-area high school football games, concerts, and community festivals booked through the city’s parks and recreation department.
How old is Legion Field?
Legion Field opened on November 19, 1927, making it nearly a century old as of 2026.
What is the bag policy at Legion Field?
Most events enforce a clear-bag policy: approved bags are limited to a clear plastic bag no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″ or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch. Backpacks, purses, diaper bags, and fanny packs that don’t meet those specs are not allowed in, with exceptions for medically necessary items.
Is there parking at Legion Field?
On-site parking is limited and sells first-come, first-served on game day, often around $20 per vehicle, with no tailgating in the main lots. For major events like the Magic City Classic, the city also runs shuttles from free remote parking lots for a small round-trip fare.
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