Jet lag and soccer video games gained’t cease these UAB Soccer followers from spending a day with the Blazers and household

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We adopted two UAB households throughout this 12 months’s Homecoming. What did we uncover? For starters, UAB Gameday means rather more than a soccer sport.  

UAB and household are their superpowers

It was a miracle they had been nonetheless standing. Renita Rigney and her husband Doug flew in from Italy the evening earlier than UAB’s Homecoming sport towards Center Tennessee State College.  

You’d by no means know the 2 of them had accomplished a transatlantic journey or had been experiencing jet lag hours earlier. 

At each the tailgate social gathering and sport, they had been smiling, hugging and rooting for the Blazers all afternoon, surrounded by 5 of their 9 grandchildren at Protective Stadium. 

How did they do it? The Rigney’s have a superpower—love for UAB and their household.

8 graduates, 14 UAB levels

Within the late Nineteen Seventies, Renita and Doug met as UAB undergrads, ultimately received married and had three kids. The best half—every youngster went to UAB and like their mother and father all of them married UAB graduates.

“Between the eight of us we now have 14 levels from UAB.  And so we’re elevating 9 grandchildren to be little Blazers,” Renita stated bursting with satisfaction.

Erin Martin, the Rigneys oldest daughter, who lives in Nashville, brings her whole household (her husband and three youngsters) to each residence soccer sport.

“Saying we bleed inexperienced and gold is an understatement. I’ve gone to UAB video games for so long as I can bear in mind, and we now have at all times had season tickets.” 

In truth, the Rigney household has a block of UAB season tickets—17 in complete. Merely put, each Blazer residence sport at Protecting Stadium is a “mini-family reunion.” 

The Carlee Household

Just like the Rigneys, Brad and Jodi Carlee began going to UAB soccer and basketball video games as undergrads within the 2000s. In addition they have three youngsters, together with one in highschool.

Lifelong UAB superfans, Brad is a monetary officer on the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, whereas Jodi works as a registered nurse at Children’s of Alabama and as a analysis coordinator at UAB’s School of Nursing.

Through the years, your complete household not solely attends soccer video games, they’re followers of males’s and  ladies’s basketball, volleyball and seashore volleyball.

“UAB Athletics does an excellent job of partaking followers,” Jodi stated. “It’s very inexpensive. For instance, Blazer Village is absolutely enjoyable. There’s tons of stuff for youths to do and hold them entertained.”

If you happen to want proof of how essential cheering on the Blazers are to the Carlees, their son Samuel, the excessive schooler, had a soccer sport scheduled through the Blazer’s Homecoming sport. 

Whereas most folk would have gone residence after the soccer match which was performed close by in Homewood. 

Not the Carlee household. They rushed to Protecting Stadium to catch the second half of the Blazers win towards the Center Tennessee Blue Raiders.

3 issues your loved ones will love at UAB soccer video games

UAB has three extra residence video games on its 2022 schedule at Protecting Stadium:

• vs. Charlotte–October 15
• vs. College Texas San Antonio–November 5
• vs. North Texas–November 12

All three video games kick off at 2:30PM.

1. Blazer Village

Past the video games, the Rigneys and Carlees gave us a tour of the various thrilling family-friendly actions you’ll be able to participate in through the soccer sport. A undoubtedly win for folks who can’t sit nonetheless for lengthy. 

Who doesn’t love face portray, video games and freebies! Blazer Village opens 4 hours earlier than kickoff, 10:30AM for the ultimate three UAB video games this season, and closes at 2PM, half-hour previous to sport time to present you time to get to your seats earlier than kickoff.

2. Blazer Stroll

Led by Blaze, UAB’s lovable mascot, a whole bunch of UAB followers fashioned a pathway towards the doorway of Protecting Stadium. For youths, it’s not solely an opportunity to see their favourite dragon… additionally they have the possibility to listen to the UAB band play the struggle track and excessive 5 300-pound lineman.

3. Tailgating

UAB affords loads of tailgating round Protecting Stadium. The Rigney household tailgates with the Inexperienced Backers, which is made up of Erin Martin’s sorority and her husband’s fraternity. Through the years, she stated they’ve seen their youngsters develop up with fellow UAB households.

A spot households can name residence

Erin Martin summed up the entire Blazer Gameday expertise finest.

“We’ve a stadium that we are able to name residence. I actually love the Uptown space. It’s an ideal place for Blazer Village and Blazer Stroll. The ambiance is nice.”

Excited about attending the subsequent Blazers soccer sport or sporting occasion? Get your tickets here. 

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