Avast ye, Blazer fans: Homecoming 2026 has UAB taking on the East Carolina Pirates with the annual parade and game Thursday, Oct. 15The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Homecoming Week 2026 will be Oct. 11-15, with the Homecoming Parade and UAB Football vs East Carolina Pirates on Thursday, Oct. 15.
Kickoff will be at 6:30 p.m. at Protective Stadium, 1020 24th St. North. Tickets start at $22; purchase tickets. UAB students can attend the game at no cost by downloading a mobile ticket.
For a full list of Homecoming activities, visit calendar.uab.edu/homecoming.
Homecoming activities are hosted by the Blazer Spirit Council, UAB National Alumni Society, UAB Athletics, Office of Student Involvement and Leadership, and others.
UAB Homecoming Week 2026 highlights include:
- The Gurney Derby, the wildest race on wheels, from noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 14, located at 1150 10th Ave. South. Fast and fun, the Gurney Derby is UAB’s longest-running tradition and a Homecoming favorite since 1994. Teams of four race while pushing a “passenger” on a real hospital gurney. Prizes go to the speediest teams, the best-dressed gurney, the most creative passenger and the team that finishes dead last.
- Teams will put their spin on this year’s “Blaze the Seas” theme at Blazer Showdown, the annual dance and skit competition among UAB student organizations, from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, on the Campus Green.
- The UAB Homecoming Parade and Float Competition will be at noon Oct. 15, starting on 14th Street South between University Boulevard and 10th Avenue South, and ending on University Boulevard at 14th Street South. See the full route.
- On game day, the official UAB Athletics pregame fanfest Blazer Village will start at 2:30 p.m. with music, games and face painting.
- The Blazer Spirit Student Tailgate will be from 2-4 p.m. at the Hill Student Center Amphitheatre, 1400 University Blvd.
- Park and ride with the Blazer Express shuttle from the Hill Student Center to the game, free for students and the public. Complimentary parking is available on game days in the 12th Street Parking Deck adjacent to Young Memorial Field.
- Winners and first alternates of the Mr. and Ms. UAB Scholarship Competition will be announced at halftime. Each year, the UAB National Alumni Society crowns a new Mr. and Ms. UAB, each receiving a $2,500 scholarship and the honor of representing UAB throughout the year. First alternates receive $1,000 scholarships and join the winners as university ambassadors. It is a celebration of leadership, service and Blazer excellence.
- UAB Marching Blazers will present the halftime show “Ritmo y Fuego” (“Rhythm and Fire”), featuring spirited jazz and popular music with a Spanish flair.