PNC Field

PNC Field (formerly BBVA Compass Field and BBVA Field) is a soccer field at 800 11th Street South, south of the northbound I-65 offramp onto University Boulevard in Birmingham's Southside. It is home of the UAB Blazers men's and women's soccer teams, and the former home of the professional Birmingham Legion FC of the United Soccer League.

Development of the facility was supported by a $1.5 million gift from BBVA Compass bank in November 2014. The field opened on October 20, 2015 with a women's match against Southern Mississippi. The men played their first match on the pitch a week later on November 7, 2015 against Charlotte.

In November 2017, before the final phase of construction began, the University of Alabama Board of Trustees approved an expansion of the seating capacity (and associated restroom and concession facilities) to 5,000 seats. The total cost for the project was increased from $4.5 million to $7.3 million, with the difference to be recouped by leasing the field to Birmingham's newly-announced United Soccer League professional team for an eight-year period. Birmingham Legion FC began play at BBVA Compass Field, which was expanded before construction to nearly 6,000 seats, in 2019.

The field's name was updated in 2019 as part of a rebranding of BBVA. After BBVA's U.S. operations were acquired by PNC Bank, the field was renamed again on November 5, 2021 after approval by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees as PNC Field.

In 2022 Legion FC moved their home matches to Protective Stadium.

References

• Bakken, Jim (November 7, 2014) "$1.5 million BBVA Compass gift supports on-campus soccer facility at UAB." UAB News
• Bakken, Jim (December 9, 2015) "Birmingham’s newest sports venue, BBVA Compass Field at UAB, officially debuts." UAB News
• Patchen, Tyler & Ty West (November 3, 2017) "UAB may expand soccer stadium to house USL team." Birmingham Business Journal
• Patchen, Tyler (May 9, 2018) "UAB, Legion FC and BBVA Compass launch stadium expansion in Birmingham." Birmingham Business Journal
• Mann, Joshua (December 7, 2021) "Legion FC to move to Protective Stadium in 2022." Birmingham Business Journal