There is Alabama football on Sunday in Birmingham

The Alliance of American Football League (AAF) began play on Feb. 9. The Alabama football team in the league, the Birmingham Iron opens on Sunday.

Alabama football fans still have football available this spring and we don’t mean the Crimson Tide A-Day game in April. The new professional league, the Alliance of American Football (AAF) has started its inaugural season.

The eight-team league has teams in Phoenix; San Diego; San Antonio; Salt Lake; Memphis; Atlanta; Orlando and Birmingham. Former Alabama football assistant, Joe Pendry is the General Manager for the Birmingham Iron. The Iron’s head coach is longtime NFL veteran, Tim Lewis.

The inaugural AAF season began Feb. 9 in San Antonio and Orlando. Mike Riley’s San Antonio Commandos defeated the San Diego Fleet 15-6. It was Fun ‘n’ Gun time in Orlando as Steve Spurrier’s Apollos beat the Atlanta Legends, 40-6.

The Birmingham Iron open at home on Feb. 10 against the Memphis Express. The AAF teams will have a ten game regular season. Four teams will advance to the playoffs.

Rosters in the AAF have 52 players. The Birmingham Iron has 23 former SEC players on its roster. Ten former Alabama football players are on the Iron roster. Those former Crimson Tiders are Blake Sims; Trent Richardson; J.C. Hassenauer;  Dominick Jackson; Korren Kirven; Brandon Greene; Josh Frazier; Xzavier Dickson; Bradley Sylve and Cole Mazza. Former Tide wide receiver Richard Mullaney plays for the Arizona team.

Several Alabama football players are expected to start for the Birmingham Iron. Former Tide QB, Blake Sims is currently the backup to starter, Luis Perez who played at Texas A&M-Commerce.

The AAF has made a few rules changes from the NFL. A ninth official, in the press box and called the ‘Sky Judge’ can overrule calls on the field. The premise of the added official is to correct mistakes without long delays reviewing video.

The league has a broadcast deal with CBS. There will be no television timeouts and the number of commercials during games is reduced. The play clock is 35 seconds, five seconds shorter than the NFL. The reduced commercials and shorter clock are expected to reduce the overall length of games by 30 minutes.

The new league will have no kickoffs and no kicked extra points. A two-point conversion attempt will follow each touchdown. Each team will get a possession in overtime but games can end in a tie.

The league has attracted some familiar coaches, along with Steve Spurrier at Orlando and Mike Riley at San Antonio there are Dennis Erickson at Salt Lake; Rick Neuheisel at Arizona and Mike Singletary at Memphis. Former Alabama football radio analyst and Executive Director of the Senior Bowl, Phil Savage is the General Manager for Arizona.

There are several former Auburn players in the league and some of them play for the Iron. Alabama football fans are encouraged to look past that impediment to enjoying the new league.

The Iron play on Feb. 10 at 3:00 PM CST in Birmingham’s Legion Field. Tickets are available for less than twenty bucks.