Legacy Arena facts for kids
Legacy Arena is a popular sports and entertainment venue located in Birmingham, Alabama. It's part of the larger Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex. This arena can hold over 17,000 people for sports events and even more for concerts, making it a big place for exciting gatherings!
 |
|
 |
|
 Legacy Arena
Location in Alabama
Legacy Arena
Location in the United States
|
|
| Former names | BJCC Coliseum (1976–99) BJCC Arena (1999–2014) |
|---|---|
| Address | 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N. |
| Location | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 33°31′26″N 86°48′47″W / 33.523780°N 86.812935°W |
| Owner | Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority |
| Operator | Comcast Spectra |
| Capacity | Concerts: 19,000 Sporting Events: 17,654 Theater seating: 8,000 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | September 28, 1976 |
| Renovated | 2020–21 |
| Tenants | |
| Birmingham Bulls (WHA/CHL) (1976–81) UAB Blazers men's basketball (NCAA) (1978–88) Birmingham South Stars (CHL) (1982–83) Birmingham Bulls (ECHL) (1992–2001) Birmingham/Alabama Steeldogs (af2) (2000–07) Birmingham Squadron (NBAGL) (2021–present) |
|
About Legacy Arena: Size and Features
Legacy Arena is a very tall building, standing ten stories high. Inside, the main floor is huge, covering about 24,200 square feet. This large space can be set up for many different events.
The arena has special areas like luxury suites and a press box for media. There's also the BJCC Arena Club, a lounge for up to 500 guests. Backstage, there are locker rooms and dressing rooms for performers and athletes. There's also a VIP area and space for many large trucks to load and unload equipment. A big, four-sided scoreboard hangs in the center, showing replays and scores.
History of Legacy Arena
Legacy Arena first opened its doors in 1976. It was originally known as the BJCC Coliseum, then the BJCC Arena, before getting its current name in 2015.
Early Sports Teams and Famous Moments
The arena has been home to many sports teams over the years. From 1976 to 1979, it hosted the Birmingham Bulls hockey team. A famous moment happened here in 1977 when hockey legend Gordie Howe scored his 1,000th career goal at age 49!
The arena was also home to the UAB men's basketball team until 1988. Later, the Alabama Steeldogs arena football team played here from 2000 to 2007.
Renovations and New Teams
In 2014, the arena was officially renamed Legacy Arena. This was thanks to a special agreement with Legacy Credit Union.
More recently, the arena went through a big renovation project. This $123 million upgrade was completed in time for the 2021–22 basketball season. These improvements helped bring a new professional team to Birmingham: the Birmingham Squadron. They are part of the NBA G League, which is like a development league for the NBA.
Exciting Events at Legacy Arena
Legacy Arena is a popular spot for many different kinds of events, especially sports.
Basketball Tournaments
The arena often hosts college basketball games for both men and women. It has been the site for major conference tournaments like the SEC, Sun Belt Conference, and Conference USA. In 2026, it will host the American Athletic Conference tournaments.
Legacy Arena has also been a frequent host for the NCAA men's college basketball tournament. It hosted early rounds in 1984, 1987, 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2023. It will host again in 2028. The arena also hosted the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight rounds for the 2025 NCAA women's college basketball tournament. Each year, the arena hosts the Alabama High School Athletic Association basketball state finals.
Men's College Basketball Conference Champions
Here are some of the men's college basketball conference tournaments held at Legacy Arena:
| Year | Conference | Champion | Score | Runner-up | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | SEC | Tennessee | 75–69OT | Kentucky | Kyle Macy, Kentucky |
| 1980 | LSU | 80–78 | Kentucky | DeWayne Scales, LSU | |
| 1981 | Ole Miss | 66–62 | Georgia | Dominique Wilkins, Georgia | |
| 1982 | Sun Belt | UAB | 94–83 | VCU | Oliver Robinson, UAB |
| 1983 | UAB | 64–47 | [[{{{school}}}|South Florida]] | Cliff Pruitt, UAB | |
| SEC | Georgia | 86–71 | Alabama | Vern Fleming, Georgia | |
| 1984 | Sun Belt | UAB | 62–60 | [[{{{school}}}|Old Dominion]] | McKinley Singleton, UAB |
| 1985 | SEC | Auburn | 53–49OT | Alabama | Chuck Person, Auburn |
| 1986 | Sun Belt | Jacksonville | 70–69 | UAB | Otis Smith, Jacksonville |
| 1990 | South Florida | 81–74 | [[{{{school}}}|UNC Charlotte]] | Radenko Dobraš, South Florida | |
| 1992 | SEC | Kentucky | 80–54 | Alabama | Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky |
| 1999 | C-USA | UNC Charlotte | 68–59 | Louisville | Galen Young, UNC Charlotte |
| 2015 | UAB | 73–60 | Middle Tennessee | Robert Brown, UAB | |
| 2016 | Middle Tennessee | 55–53 | Old Dominion | Reggie Upshaw, Middle Tennessee | |
| 2017 | Middle Tennessee | 83–72 | Marshall | Giddy Potts, Middle Tennessee | |
| 2026 | American | – | – | – | – |
Women's College Basketball Conference Champions
Here are some of the women's college basketball conference tournaments held at Legacy Arena:
| Year | Conference | Champion | Score | Runner-up | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | C-USA | Western Kentucky | 60–57 | Southern Miss | Alexis Govan, Western Kentucky |
| 2016 | Middle Tennessee | 70–54 | Old Dominion | Ty Petty, Middle Tennessee | |
| 2017 | Western Kentucky | 67–56 | Southern Miss | Kendall Noble, Western Kentucky | |
| 2026 | American | – | – | – | – |
Tennis Matches
Legacy Arena has also hosted international tennis events. In 2009 and 2017, it was the site for the Davis Cup, a major team tennis competition. Top players from the United States and Switzerland competed here.
The World Games 2022
Birmingham hosted the World Games 2022, a big international multi-sport event. Legacy Arena was a key venue for this. It hosted exciting competitions like dancesport (Latin, standard, and rock'n'roll dancing) and various gymnastics events.
Professional Wrestling Events
For many years, Legacy Arena has been a popular venue for professional wrestling. Major promotions like the WWE have held events here. One notable event was "Armageddon" in 2000, which featured a special six-man match for the WWF Championship.
See also
In Spanish: Legacy Arena para niños
- Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex
- 2025 SEC Gymnastics Championship
