UAB Blazers football The UAB Blazers football team represents the University of Alabama at Birmingham and competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ( formerly Division I - A ) , as a member of the East Division of Conference USA ( C - USA ) . UAB plays its home games at Legion Field , which is located off - campus in Birmingham , Alabama . The current head coach of the UAB Blazers is Garrick McGee . With a capacity of 71 , 594 , Legion Field is currently the third largest college football stadium in the state of Alabama and the 40th largest football stadium in the US . On February 3 , 2011 , it was announced that UAB would be moving forward with plans to build a horseshoe - shaped stadium on campus with an estimated seating capacity of around 30 , 000 . History . The origins of football at UAB begin with the play of an organized club football team in 1989 . After two years competing as a club football team , on March 13 , 1991 , UAB President Charles McCallum and athletic director Gene Bartow announced that the university would compete in football as a NCAA Division III team beginning in the fall of 1991 , with Jim Hilyer serving as the first head coach . From 1991 to 1992 , UAB competed as a Division III Independent , and during this period , the Blazers compiled an 11 – 6 – 2 overall record . During this period , the Blazers played their first all - time game on September 7 , 1991 , a 28 – 0 loss at Millsaps , and notched their first all - time win on September 21 , 1991 , a 34 – 21 victory at Washington & Lee . After only a pair of seasons at the Division III level , a NCAA ruling resulted in the Blazers being reclassified as a I - AA team for the 1993 season . The reclassification was a result of the NCAA prohibiting a school ' s athletic program from being multi - divisional , and since UAB already competed in Division I in other sports , the move became necessary . In their first game as a I - AA team , the Blazers would lose to Troy State 37 – 3 before a home crowd on September 6 , 1993 . By 1994 , the Blazers would play their first I - A opponent against Kansas . Following the 1994 season , coach Hilyer would resign with Watson Brown being announced as the program ' s second ever coach on January 2 , 1995 . During the 1995 season the Blazers would notch their first ever victory over a I - A opponent on the road against North Texas by a final score of 19 – 14 . From 1993 to 1995 , UAB competed as a Division I - AA Independent , and during this period compiled a 21 – 12 overall record before making the jump to Division I - A for the 1996 season . On November 9 , 1995 , UAB was officially informed by the NCAA that the school had met all requirements for reclassification , and as such the Blazers would enter the 1996 season as an I - A Independent . In their first I - A game , UAB was defeated by in - state rival Auburn 29 – 0 , and would finish their first I - A season with a 5 – 6 overall record . Already a participating member in other sports , on November 13 , 1996 , Conference USA commissioner Mike Slive announced that UAB would be admitted to the league as a football playing member for the 1999 season . Since the transition to I - A , UAB has made a habit of playing many of college football ' s traditional powers . In 2000 , UAB achieved a monumental victory by beating LSU in Baton Rouge . In 2004 , UAB reached yet another milestone earning their first bowl trip in school history , the Hawaii Bowl . After being the face of the program for twelve years , on December 9 , 2006 , Watson Brown resigned as UAB ' s head coach to take the head coaching position at Tennessee Tech . Following Brown ' s resignation , former Alabama player and Georgia offensive coordinator Neil Callaway was named head coach on December 17 , 2006 . Callaway led the Blazers to the school ' s worst season ( 2 – 10 ) , dropping the program ' s all - time record under . 500 for the first time in school history . On November 27 , 2011 , Callaway was fired as UAB ' s head coach having compiled a record of 18 wins and 42 losses ( 18 – 42 ) during his five years with the Blazers . On December 4 , 2011 , UAB officials announced they hired Garrick McGee to serve as the fourth head coach in the history of the program .