Stallions Host Renegades In First Home Game of 2025 Season
APRIL 11, 2025 - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
By Steve Irvine
Passionate fans will be part of the Birmingham Stallions 2025 home opener on Friday night. Stallions head coach Skip Holtz is certain of that and knows what to expect when his team kicks the ball off against the Arlington Renegades at 7 p.m. at Protective Stadium.
“We've got a great fan base,” Holtz said. “We all want to see it grow. We're all hopeful as we get into year four. Maybe the addition of Friday night games in the spring is going to be something that will really add to the atmosphere and the attendance. But the fans that we have are passionate. When you start talking about the Horsemen and the Shirtless Wonders, Pyramid of Flesh, whatever it is. Those guys down there in the end zone. I think we've got a very passionate fan base. Our players love our fans. They love to have the opportunity to play at home.”
Growing the numbers is important. The Stallions were fourth in the UFL in attendance last season after averaging 10,192 per game. St. Louis easily had the biggest crowds, averaging 34,365 fans per game, while the D.C. Defenders (14,143) and the San Antonio Brahmas (11,868) also drew more fans than Birmingham.
But, as evidenced by the win-loss ledger over the past three seasons, playing in Birmingham gives the Stallions a hometown advantage. The Stallions are 21-2 in the regular season at home since the beginning of the 2022 USFL season with two of those wins coming at Legion Field and the rest at Protective Stadium. The Stallions also won both playoff games they participated in at Protective Stadium.
“I can tell you that our players have circled week three, the first weekend we have the opportunity to get back in Birmingham,” Holtz said earlier this year. “I just want to see the attendance continue to grow because the more people are there, the bigger the atmosphere. The more the energy, the more the city of Birmingham is going to benefit and the more we are going to benefit from a home field advantage. There are only eight towns that have the opportunity to call one of these teams their own right now.”
The current focus, at least for Holtz, is on Friday’s challenge against an Arlington team that is one of three UFL teams still unbeaten after two weeks. The Renegades are playing away from Arlington, where all the teams live and train, for the first time this season and the only time in the first five weeks.
Arlington is led by its defense. The Renegades are second in the UFL in points allowed per game (9), yards allowed per game (216) and yards allowed per game (84). It was a defensive play that saved Houston from tying the game with 1:13 left in last week’s game against Arlington. Houston’s potential game-tying two-point conversion was stopped when cornerback Myles Dorn stopped a running play at the 1-yard line.
Matt Corral will get his first start at quarterback this season after Alex McGough was placed on injured reserve because of a right shoulder injury. Running back CJ Marable is back this week after missing last week for personal reasons. Deon Cain, who caught four passes and scored a touchdown last week, is out for Friday’s game because of personal reasons.
Arlington’s offense is led by spring league veteran quarterback Luis Perez, who is 39-of-52 for 375 yards with one touchdown and one interception in two games this season.