If you are planning a move to Birmingham, Alabama, you will learn very quickly that you are entering the “Sports Capital of the South”. While other cities may try to claim that title, residents of the Birmingham area will confirm that passion for their teams reaches a whole new level here. We breed it into our young, and convert those who enter our city gates with contagious enthusiasm. For sports fans, Birmingham, Alabama is a great place to live!
If you love “high octane” sports, head to the nearby Talladega Superspeedway for the Talladega 500. The Tom Cruise movie Days of Thunder filmed here, as well as the Will Ferrell movie Talladega Nights.
If you prefer to hit the track yourself, then a trip to the Barber Motorsports Track, and also the Vintage Motorsports Museum, might be fun.
Hunting, boating, and fishing enthusiasts are certain to enjoy the new Bass Pro Shop, which recently opened in Leeds.
Because of our wonderful climate, tennis is very popular in our area. In fact, Birmingham just hosted the prestigious Davis Cup at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center.
Birmingham has also previously participated in the Olympics when Regions Park served as a satellite venue for soccer during the 1996 games in Atlanta, which is only about 2 hours away.
With the Regions Charity Classic, which is the #1 Champions Tour event, being hosted each year at Ross Bridge, and the Robert Trent Jones Course at Oxmoor Valley, high quality public courses are available for golfers. Numerous other beautiful golfing venues can be found throughout the area, both public and private.
The SEC Baseball Championship is played here each spring at fabulous Regions Park in Hoover. The Birmingham Barons minor league team, affiliated with the Chicago White Sox, calls this their home field. Their most famous former player is Michael Jordan.
Hoover High School’s Buccaneers football team of MTV’s TWO-A-DAYS, also plays most of its big games at Regions Park. Once again, the mighty Hoover Bucs brought home the Alabama High School 6-A State Championship for 2009, with a 14-1 record
Only 45 minutes away, Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, was host to the 2010 Iron Bowl, one of the biggest football rivalries in the nation, between theAuburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Alternating between Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, (about 2 hours from Birmingham), and Tuscaloosa , most Birmingham residents would agree that the Iron Bowl is the biggest sports day of the year in the state of Alabama. Jim Caple of ESPN has placed the Iron Bowl at #38 on his list of 101 THINGS ALL SPORTS FANS MUST EXPERIENCE BEFORE THEY DIE. True to its reputation, the 2010 Iron Bowl had another legendary finish, with Auburn University narrowly defeating the University of Alabama. Riding on this game was the SEC Championship, which Auburn won, and a shot at the 2010 National Championship.
The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner is Cam Newton of Auburn University.
The SEC Champions for the 2010 season are the Auburn Tigers.
The 2010 BCS National Champonship played on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona was won by Auburn University with a score of 22 -19. Congratulations Coach Gene Chizik, and the mighty Auburn Tigers! Only one other time in history has a state had back to back National Championships. The retiring National Champions were the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In 2011, the Crimson Tide of Alabama came back to win the National Championship for the second time in 3 years.
Birmingham, you may want to visit theAlabama Sports Hall of Fame. With such sports giants as Joe Louis, Willie Mays, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Bart Starr, and Heisman Trophy winners Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan, a trip to this museum should be a special treat for the avid sports fan.
Other local area teams such as the UAB Blazers and the Samford Bulldogs, currently being coached by Pat Sullivan, provide even more enjoyment of college athletics.
With nationally ranked collegiate teams in nearly every sport from gymnastics to football, and the high level of high school athletics as well, the Birmingham area has much to offer in the way of sports.
Whether as a participant, or a spectator, opportunities abound for sports fans in Birmingham, Alabama. Move here and you, too, will catch the excitement!
Information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.
Shannon Holmes (205) 706-3975
RealtySouth
109 Inverness Plaza, Birmingham, Alabama 35242
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