Bartow Arena

Been here twice in the past month to cheer on the Blazers (who are having a great year BTW) as they compete for the CUSA title. The staff was friendly. They could use a few more open lines for the will-​call, as standing outside in the cold was not fun. But the seats were good, and I enjoy the atmosphere here. Go Blazers!

A decent sized arena: big enough to hold a crowd, but small enough that everybody gets a decent enough view.
Although I have never been inside during a sporting event, I’ve attended a few other events (including the UAB commencement ceremony) and upon every occasion, it was SO WARM. Whether the fault of the HVAC capacity, poor architectural design, or just the facility management’s failure to up the A/​C– it was miserably warm. On this most recent occasion, one of the poor graduates fainted it was so uncomfortable.
However, as soon as you get into the surrounding ring of circulation, it is freezing! Something needs to be designed to balance the two spaces.
The seats have some padding, so they are not too uncomfortable, but leg room is little to none and you have no hope of escaping the row with everybody seated in between you and the aisle. If you have a small bladder, make sure you sit on the aisle.

UAB has made great strides in the past few years to make the arena a better fan experience. Gone are volunteers manning concession stands. Concessions are now operated by UAB food service employees. They are friendly, chatty and actually remember you from week to week during basketball season. The facility is very clean and in good repair.