University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics

UAB competes in NCAA Division I, where athletic scholarships and serious competition define the sports culture. The Blazers field 17 varsity teams with 414 total athletes, meaning about 3.4% of the 12,118 students compete at the varsity level. The university distributes over $8.1 million in athletic scholarships annually. UAB plays in the American Athletic Conference alongside schools like Cincinnati and Memphis. The football program made headlines when it was controversially shut down in 2014, then dramatically reinstated in 2017 after massive community pressure. Basketball generates the most campus excitement, particularly games against cross-state rivals Alabama and Auburn. The Blazers have built a respectable athletic program despite being a relatively young university founded in 1969, with facilities that serve the growing Birmingham sports scene.