2026 Birmingham Legion FC season
| 2026 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| General Manager | Jay Heaps | ||
| Head Coach | Jay Heaps | ||
| Stadium | Protective Stadium | ||
| USL Championship | Eastern Conference: TBD | ||
| Playoffs | TBD | ||
| U.S. Open Cup | TBD | ||
| USL Cup | TBD | ||
|
| |||
The 2026 Birmingham Legion season will be the eighth season of play in the club's history in the USL Championship, the second division of American soccer.
Over the offseason, the Legion underwent a coaching change. Mark Briggs, the coach for the 2025 season, left the club to become the lead assistant head coach for FC Dallas of first division league Major League Soccer.[1] Jay Heaps, who had previously coached the New England Revolution for six seasons from 2011 to 2017 and has been the general manager of the Legion since the club's founding, stepped into the head coaching role for the 2026 season.[2]
Squad information
Roster
- As of January 26, 2026[3]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Team management
| Front office | |
|---|---|
| Owners | Jack Bryant Billy Harbert John Harbert Jeff Logan James Outland Jim Rein Lee Styslinger III |
| President and general manager | Jay Heaps |
| Vice president of operations | Jason Coleman |
| Director of ticketing | Cason Gooch |
| Coaching staff | |
| Head coach | Mark Briggs |
| Assistant coach | Eric Avila |
| Assistant coach | Braeden Cloutier |
Last updated: March 25, 2019
Source: [1]
Competitions
USL Championship
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Loudoun United FC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 |
| 10 | Rhode Island FC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
| 11 | Miami FC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
| 12 | Sporting Club Jacksonville | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
| 13 | Birmingham Legion FC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 1 |
Updated to match(es) played on March 21, 2026. Source: USL Championship Standings
Rules for classification: 1) total wins against conference opponents; 2) goal differential against conference opponents; 3) goals scored against conference opponents; 4) head-to-head points against conference opponents; 5) points per game against conference opponents; 6) points per game against non-conference opponents; 7) fewest disciplinary points; 8) coin toss or drawing of lots
Rules for classification: 1) total wins against conference opponents; 2) goal differential against conference opponents; 3) goals scored against conference opponents; 4) head-to-head points against conference opponents; 5) points per game against conference opponents; 6) points per game against non-conference opponents; 7) fewest disciplinary points; 8) coin toss or drawing of lots
Match results
On December 16, 2025, the USL Championship released the schedule for all 25 teams for both the regular season and the USL Cup.[4][5]
All times in Central Time Zone.
| March 7, 2026 1 | Birmingham Legion FC | 0 – 1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM | Report, USL |
|
Stadium: Protective Stadium Attendance: 4,787 Referee: Brad Jensen |
| March 11, 2026 2 | Birmingham Legion FC | 0 – 0 | Hartford Athletic | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 11:00 AM | Report | Stadium: Protective Stadium Attendance: 3,974 Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva |
| March 21, 2026 3 | Charleston Battery | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina |
| 6:00 PM | Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex |
| April 4, 2026 4 | Loudoun United FC | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Leesburg, Virginia |
| 4:00 PM | Stadium: Segra Field |
| April 11, 2026 5 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 4:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| April 18, 2026 6 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Indy Eleven | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 5:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| May 2, 2026 7 | Rhode Island FC | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Pawtucket, Rhode Island |
| 6:30 PM | Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium |
| May 7, 2026 8 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Miami FC | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| May 23, 2026 9 | Monterey Bay FC | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Seaside, California |
| 9:00 PM | Stadium: Cardinale Stadium |
| June 3, 2026 10 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Louisville City FC | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| June 13, 2026 11 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Las Vegas Lights FC | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| June 17, 2026 12 | Oakland Roots SC | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Oakland, California |
| 2:00 PM | Stadium: Oakland Coliseum |
| June 20, 2026 13 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Loudoun United FC | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| July 2, 2026 14 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Detroit City FC | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| July 5, 2026 15 | Miami FC | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Miami, Florida |
| 6:00 PM | Stadium: Pitbull Stadium |
| July 24, 2026 16 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | New Mexico United | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| July 29, 2026 17 | Louisville City FC | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 6:30 PM | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium |
| August 1, 2026 18 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Rhode Island FC | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| August 8, 2026 19 | Brooklyn FC | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Brooklyn, New York |
| 6:00 PM | Stadium: Maimonides Park |
| August 15, 2026 20 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| 8:00 PM | Stadium: Weidner Field |
| August 22, 2026 21 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Sporting Club Jacksonville | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| August 29, 2026 22 | Hartford Athletic | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Hartford, Connecticut |
| 6:00 PM | Stadium: Trinity Health Stadium |
| September 5, 2026 23 | Indy Eleven | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 6:00 PM | Stadium: Carroll Stadium |
| September 13, 2026 24 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Charleston Battery | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 6:00 PM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| September 19, 2026 25 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | v | Birmingham Legion FC | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| 6:30 PM | Stadium: Al Lang Stadium |
| September 23, 2026 26 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Brooklyn FC | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 11:00 AM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| October 3, 2026 27 | Detroit City FC | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Hamtramck, Michigan |
| 6:00 PM | Stadium: Keyworth Stadium |
| October 10, 2026 28 | Sporting Club Jacksonville | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Jacksonville, Florida |
| 4:00 PM | Stadium: Hodges Stadium |
| October 18, 2026 29 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Loudoun United FC | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 4:00 AM | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| October 24, 2026 30 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | v | Birmingham Legion FC | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 6:00 PM | Stadium: Highmark Stadium |
USL Cup
The Legion will participate in the third edition of the USL Cup, and the second edition to feature teams from both the USL Championship and League One.[6]
Group standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PKW | PKL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham Legion FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Chattanooga Red Wolves SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Corpus Christi FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | One Knoxville SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | San Antonio FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: April 25, 2026. Source: [2]
Group stage
| April 25, 2026 | San Antonio FC | v | Birmingham Legion FC | San Antonio, Texas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Stadium: Toyota Field |
| May 16, 2025 | Chattanooga Red Wolves | v | Birmingham Legion FC | East Ridge, Tennessee |
| 6:00 PM CDT | Stadium: CHI Memorial Stadium |
| June 6, 2026 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | Corpus Christi FC | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
| July 11, 2026 | Birmingham Legion FC | v | FC Tulsa | Birmingham, Alabama |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Stadium: Protective Stadium |
References
- ^ Dover, Drew (January 13, 2026). "Legion FC head coach departs for MLS opportunity, CEO steps into head coach position ahead of 2026 season". wbrc.com. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Turrentine, Caleb (January 12, 2026). "Birmingham Legion President Jay Heaps moves into head coach role | Bham Now". Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ "Roster Archive". Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ USLSoccer.com Staff (December 16, 2025). "USL Championship Announces 2026 Schedule". USL Championship. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "2026 Schedule". USL Championship. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ USLSoccer.com Staff (December 16, 2025). "USL Championship Announces 2026 Schedule". USL Championship. Retrieved December 16, 2025.