Birmingham has a long history of failed franchises.
Birmingham, Alabama is on the verge of losing another professional sports franchise. The National Basketball Association’s New Orleans Pelicans ownership will move its Birmingham Squadrons G League franchises to Kenner, Louisiana for the 2026-27 season. Unless something goes astray, the final G League Birmingham game will take place on March 24th against the Windy City Bulls, a team that plays in suburban Chicago. Birmingham has hosted New Orleans Pelicans pre-season games in the past and the Pelicans ownership claims Birmingham will host pre-season games in the future. Birmingham has been a professional sports graveyard. Birmingham has a United Football League team, a Double A Minor League Baseball franchise, a low level United Soccer League team and a low level Southern Professional Hockey League franchise. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has a Division I team competing in the American Athletic Conference. Birmingham has never had a major league sports franchise.
In the mid-1970s, Birmingham had a World Football League franchise and when that league folded in 1975, the Birmingham Vulcans franchise owners along with the Memphis Southmen franchise owners sued the National Football League claiming antitrust violations in an attempt to force their way into the NFL. The suit was not successful. The World Hockey Association had a franchise in Birmingham. The Birmingham Bulls ownership was given money to go away and the city was not included in the National Hockey League’s expansion which took in four WHA franchises. Birmingham had a franchise in the United States Football League during that league’s existence between 1983 and 1985. Birmingham has had its G League team since 2021. The franchise started out in Erie, Pennsylvania in 2019. Pelicans ownership claims that it would like to move the team to Kenner, which is 13 miles from New Orleans, because it wants its minor league team close to the parent team.
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