Southern, Alabama State to open 2026 at historic Legion Field in Birmingham

Southern and Alabama State will open the 2026 season at Legion Field in Birmingham, and the setup gives the SWAC a rare early chance to turn one game into a statement. The matchup is set for Saturday, Aug. 29, on a neutral stage that should feel bigger than a routine opener, especially with Southern beginning the Marshall Faulk era in front of a crowd built for a marquee event.

The conference said the game was approved after Birmingham City Council action, and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin framed the matchup as another sign that the city is still chasing premier sports and entertainment events. Southern’s schedule lists the game as the Pete Richardson Classic, which adds another layer of branding to a meeting that already carries early-season weight for both programs. Alabama State will also have another Birmingham spotlight later in the fall, when it meets Alabama A&M in the Magic City Classic at Legion Field on Oct. 31.

The location matters because Legion Field is not a standard backdrop. The stadium opened in 1927, was named for the American Legion and drew 16,800 fans for its inaugural game. It now seats 71,000 and has housed some of the biggest college football moments in the state, from the first Iron Bowl to the Magic City Classic, which Birmingham describes as the largest HBCU classic in the nation. The venue also hosted 1996 Olympic soccer matches, and UAB says the Blazers played their first home game there in 1991.

That history is part of the appeal, but so is what the city is doing to keep the building relevant. Birmingham said in 2025 it would invest more than $1 million in Legion Field renovations and maintenance, including restroom expansion, wall repairs and reroofing of an adjacent maintenance shop. For Southern and Alabama State, that means the opener lands in a stadium that still carries the weight of college football tradition, even as the city works to refresh it.

For Southern, the game is the first test of a new era under Faulk and an early measuring stick before the Jaguars return to Baton Rouge for the following week’s Pete Richardson Classic against Kentucky State. For Alabama State, it is a chance to start fast in a setting that should feel like a showcase rather than a road trip. In a league where visibility can shape recruiting, attendance and national perception, Legion Field gives both teams a stage that can echo well beyond opening weekend.