Football season in Birmingham doesn’t really begin when somebody blows a whistle. It begins when the coolers come out, somebody starts arguing about whose team is actually going to have a good year, and Saturday suddenly becomes a full-day commitment.
Whether you’re headed to the stadium or settling in somewhere with a good crowd and plenty of screens, these are some of the Birmingham spots and traditions worth knowing before the season gets rolling.
Legion Field: Start With a Real Tailgate
The inaugural Birmingham Football Classic arrives at Legion Field on Saturday, August 29, with Alabama State taking on Southern at 2 p.m. Tailgate spaces are available at the stadium, making this one of the more traditional ways to kick off football season in Birmingham. Gates open at noon, so there is plenty of time to settle in before kickoff.
And honestly, that’s the point of a good tailgate. You don’t show up five minutes before kickoff. You arrive early, find your people, eat something that probably required more preparation than it should have, and settle into the day.
UAB: Tailgate Before the Blazers
UAB has its own game-day culture, and the 2026 season gives Birmingham plenty of opportunities to get in on it. For home games, the university’s Red Rooftop Tailgate offers fans a place to set up with views of Protective Stadium and downtown, while the UAB National Alumni Society is hosting alumni tailgates at Uptown Cantina before home games.
The first home game is September 12 against ULM, which makes the opening Saturday of UAB’s home schedule an easy one to put on the calendar.
Otey’s: For the Serious Game-Watching Crowd
If you’re skipping the parking lot but still want the full game-day energy, start with the readers’ poll. Otey’s took the top spot for Best Place to Watch Sports in About Town’s 2026 Reader’s Poll, ahead of Paramount, Buffalo Wild Wings, Baumhower’s and CharBar.
It’s a good choice when the game matters enough that you want other people to care about it, too. Which, let’s be honest, is most Saturdays in Alabama.
Paramount: Downtown or Homewood
Paramount came in second in About Town’s Reader’s Poll for Best Place to Watch Sports, and having locations in both downtown Birmingham and Homewood makes it an easy option depending on where your Saturday starts. The combination of games, drinks, food and an arcade also means you don’t have to be personally invested in every snap to have a good time.
Baumhower’s: When the Tailgate Is at Your House
Sometimes the best tailgate spot is your own backyard. Baumhower’s is leaning hard into football season again this year with its Big Game Headquarters menu and party-ready wings, chicken, dips and other game-day food designed to feed a crowd.
This is the move for the person who wants a real spread without spending the entire morning standing over a grill.
On Tap: For People Who Take Their Sports Bars Seriously
On Tap Sports Café has two Birmingham-area locations, in Liberty Park and Inverness/280, and the restaurant has been doing the sports-bar thing locally since 1996. Multiple screens, a large beer selection and a menu built for lingering make it a natural fit for a long football Saturday.
The Birmingham Game-Day Traditions That Never Get Old
There are plenty of ways to do football season, but the best ones usually involve some combination of cold drinks, something good on the grill, a little friendly trash talk and nowhere else you need to be for several hours.
Pick your team. Invite your people. Make too much food. Wear the jersey you swore you weren’t going to wear this year. And whatever happens on the field, make sure the game-day part of the day is worth showing up for.
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