Reviewed by: Patience Itson
Jet lag and soccer games wonโt stop these UAB Football fans from spending a day with the Blazers and family
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![Jet lag and soccer games wonโt stop these UAB Football fans from spending a day with the Blazers and family 1 UAB](https://i0.wp.com/bhamnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG_5886.jpeg?resize=1500%2C785&quality=89&ssl=1)
We followed two UAB families during this yearโs Homecoming. What did we discover? For starters, UAB Gameday means much more than a football game.ย ย
UAB and family are their superpowers
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It was a miracle they were still standing. Renita Rigney and her husband Doug flew in from Italy the night before UABโs Homecoming game against Middle Tennessee State University.
You would never know the two of them had completed a transatlantic journey or were experiencing jet lag hours earlier.
At both the tailgate party and game, they were smiling, hugging and rooting for the Blazers all afternoon, surrounded by five of their nine grandchildren at Protective Stadium.
How did they do it? The Rigneyโs have a superpowerโlove for UAB and their family.
8 graduates, 14 UAB degrees
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In the late 1970s, Renita and Doug met as UAB undergrads, eventually got married and had three children. The coolest partโeach child went to UAB and like their parents they all married UAB graduates.
โBetween the eight of us we have 14 degrees from UAB.ย And so we’re raising nine grandchildren to be little Blazers,โ Renita said bursting with pride.
Erin Martin, the Rigneys oldest daughter, who lives in Nashville, brings her entire family (her husband and three kids) to every home football game.
โSaying we bleed green and gold is an understatement. I’ve gone to UAB games for as long as I can remember, and we have always had season tickets.โย
In fact, the Rigney family has a block of UAB season ticketsโ17 in total. Simply put, every Blazer home game at Protective Stadium is a โmini-family reunion.โ
The Carlee Family
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Like the Rigneys, Brad and Jodi Carlee started going to UAB football and basketball games as undergrads in the 2000s. They also have three kids, including one in high school.
Lifelong UAB superfans, Brad is a financial officer at the UAB OโNeal Comprehensive Cancer Center, while Jodi works as a registered nurse at Childrenโs of Alabama and as a research coordinator at UABโs School of Nursing.
Over the years, the entire family not only attends football games, they are fans of menโs and womenโs basketball, volleyball and beach volleyball.
![Jet lag and soccer games wonโt stop these UAB Football fans from spending a day with the Blazers and family 5 UAB](https://i0.wp.com/bhamnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG_3923.jpeg?resize=1500%2C1125&quality=89&ssl=1)
โUAB Athletics does a good job of engaging fans,โ Jodi said. โIt’s very affordable. For example, Blazer Village is really fun. There’s tons of stuff for kids to do and keep them entertained.โ
If you need proof of how important cheering on the Blazers are to the Carlees, their son Samuel, the high schooler, had a soccer game scheduled during the Blazerโs Homecoming game.
While most folks would have gone home after the soccer match which was played nearby in Homewood.
Not the Carlee family. They rushed to Protective Stadium to catch the second half of the Blazers win against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.
3 things your family will love at UAB football games
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UAB has three more home games on its 2022 schedule at Protective Stadium:
- vs. CharlotteโOctober 15
- vs. University Texas San AntonioโNovember 5
- vs. North TexasโNovember 12
All three games kick off at 2:30PM.
1. Blazer Village
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Beyond the games, the Rigneys and Carlees gave us a tour of the many exciting family-friendly activities you can take part in during the football game. A definitely win for parents who canโt sit still for long.ย
Who doesnโt love face painting, games and freebies! Blazer Village opens four hours before kickoff, 10:30AM for the final three UAB games this season, and closes at 2PM, 30 minutes prior to game time to give you time to get to your seats before kickoff.
2. Blazer Walk
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![Jet lag and soccer games wonโt stop these UAB Football fans from spending a day with the Blazers and family 11 UAB](https://i0.wp.com/bhamnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG_5850-scaled.jpeg?resize=1500%2C1125&quality=89&ssl=1)
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Led by Blaze, UABโs lovable mascot, hundreds of UAB fans formed a pathway toward the entrance of Protective Stadium. For kids, it’s not only a chance to see their favorite dragonโฆ they also have the chance to hear the UAB band play the fight song and high five 300-pound lineman.
3. Tailgating
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UAB offers plenty of tailgating around Protective Stadium. The Rigney family tailgates with the Green Backers, which is made up of Erin Martinโs sorority and her husbandโs fraternity. Over the years, she said they have seen their kids grow up with fellow UAB families.
A place families can call home
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Erin Martin summed up the whole Blazer Gameday experience best.
โWe have a stadium that we can call home. I really love the Uptown area. It’s a great place for Blazer Village and Blazer Walk. The atmosphere is great.โ
Interested in attending the next Blazers football game or sporting event? Get your tickets here.
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