PNC Field (formerly BBVA Field) is a
soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi-pu ...
located in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, United States on the campus of the
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) that has served as the home field for both the
UAB Blazers men's and women's soccer teams since its opening in October 2015 as the replacement for
West Campus Field
West Campus Field was a soccer-specific stadium located in Birmingham, Alabama, United States on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) that served as the home field for both the UAB Blazers men's and women's soccer teams. The ...
.
Development of the stadium was facilitated after
BBVA USA
BBVA USA was a bank headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. It was a subsidiary of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria from 2007 until 2021, when it was acquired by PNC Financial Services. It operated mainly in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, ...
made a $1.5 million donation to the university for its construction in November 2014.
In February 2018, the
Board of Trustees
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
approved a $7.3 million expansion of the facility from 2,500 to 5,000 seats.
The expansion was financed in part by the
Birmingham Legion FC
Birmingham Legion FC is an American professional soccer club based in Birmingham, Alabama, that competes in the USL Championship, the second division of American soccer. The team was established in August 2013 and played under the name Birming ...
, which agreed to an eight-year lease to play at the stadium starting in 2019 for $350,000 annually.
Originally named for corporate sponsor
BBVA USA
BBVA USA was a bank headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. It was a subsidiary of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria from 2007 until 2021, when it was acquired by PNC Financial Services. It operated mainly in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, ...
, the name was changed in late 2021 to reflect the purchase of BBVA United States banking operations by PNC.
In November 2021, Legion FC terminated its lease early with the University of Alabama Board of Trustees, effective when the team's run in the
USL Championship playoffs ended. Legion FC had experienced problems with
pitch conditions during the 2021 season, causing a match against
Memphis 901
Memphis 901 FC is an American professional soccer team based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 2018, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019.
Stadium
The club currently plays on the grounds of AutoZone Park, a baseball stadiu ...
to be moved to
Legion Field on short notice.
References
{{Birmingham Legion FC
Soccer venues in Alabama
USL Championship stadiums
UAB Blazers
Sports venues in Birmingham, Alabama
Sports venues completed in 2015
2015 establishments in Alabama