Birmingham Stallions To Fold As UFL Exits Magic City

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Spring football is once again coming to an end in Birmingham.

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The Birmingham Stallions, the United Football League's most successful franchise, will cease operations as the league departs the Magic City as part of a nationwide strategic realignment.

The UFL announced Thursday that Birmingham and Houston will both lose their franchises before the 2027 season.

Two new markets will replace them next year as the league continues an ambitious expansion plan.

UFL co-owner Mike Repole said the decision to leave Birmingham was driven entirely by the size of Protective Stadium and was not a reflection of the Stallions' fan base or the team's on-field success.

"With Birmingham, this decision was 100% due to the wrong sized venue," Repole said. "I appreciate the passion of the fans and respect the history of the Birmingham Stallions. It was clearly my decision that with the wrong sized venue spring football could not succeed in Birmingham."

Repole said that while thousands of fans consistently attended Stallions games, the atmosphere was diminished because of the stadium's capacity.

"Even on opening day, when 16,000 Stallions fans showed up, the energy, passion, and game atmosphere was not felt due to the size of the venue," he said.

The league has long cited three factors when evaluating markets: the right city, the right-sized venue and a passionate fan base. Repole emphasized that Birmingham met two of those three criteria.

"We've been transparent with local mayors and city leadership that we'd love to return as soon as the right stadium solution becomes available, and we are willing to participate in accelerating those efforts," Repole said.

The Stallions, who were most recently coached by former Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron, leave Birmingham as the most decorated team in modern spring professional football following the successful tenure of former coach Skip Holtz.

Since the USFL relaunched in 2022, Birmingham has won three league championships and established itself as the UFL's flagship franchise on the field.

Despite that success, attendance at the 47,000-seat Protective Stadium often made crowds appear much smaller than they were, a factor league officials said ultimately influenced the decision.

The UFL will replace Birmingham and Houston with two new markets in 2027.

The league also announced plans to expand to 10 teams by 2028, including the addition of Oklahoma City, with a long-term goal of becoming a 12-team league by 2030.

League officials said that timeline could be move up to 2029 due to strong interest from prospective markets.

While the Stallions' future in Birmingham has come to an end for now, league officials said they remain open to returning if a more suitable stadium solution becomes available.

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