American Football
The University of Birmingham Lions American Football Programme is one of the most established and successful university programmes in the UK. With five National Championships and more than 20 years of competitive history, the Lions offer an ambitious and professional environment in which students can develop as athletes, teammates and individuals.
The programme competes within the British Universities and Colleges Sport structure and combines university competition with specialist coaching, strength and conditioning, tactical development, performance analysis and detailed film study. Our goal is to provide every player with the support and challenge needed to maximise their potential on and off the field.
Players are supported by 18 dedicated coaches, providing specialist positional coaching and individual player development. A further four coaches are dedicated to performance analysis, helping players and coaches review performance, identify areas for improvement and prepare effectively for future opponents.
The University has also allocated additional specialist support to the programme:
- Four pitchside support student
- Two analysis students
- One High Performance student coach
This integrated team helps the programme provide a comprehensive approach to player preparation, physical development, performance support and game review.
Our year-round development model includes structured strength and conditioning, positional coaching, tactical film study, off-season physical development, preseason installation, in-season performance optimisation and post-season evaluation.
On game days, the programme will utilise both Sportsmast and Veo to provide the best possible coverage for player development, coaching analysis and game review.
This technology will allow coaches to review team, unit and individual performance from multiple perspectives. Players will receive clearer, evidence-based feedback to support their technical development, tactical understanding and preparation throughout the season.
Head Coach – Wayne Hill
Club President: James Gavin
Our Club
The Birmingham Lions are committed to developing people as well as players.
Through the programme’s Learn, Prosper, Conquer culture, athletes are supported to develop leadership, communication, professionalism, personal responsibility and career-readiness. The programme also draws upon its alumni and wider University network to help players prepare for life beyond university football.
Our standards are clear: Team before self. Preparation over excuses. Professional standards daily. Relationships, professionalism, accountability and player and person development sit at the heart of the Birmingham Lions experience.
A highlight of the sporting year is xpLosION, the programme’s flagship game-day event.
Unique to Birmingham, xpLosION brings together high-level university American football, thousands of spectators, halftime entertainment and a major post-game fireworks display. It provides Birmingham Lions players with the opportunity to compete in one of the biggest and most exciting game-day environments in British university sport.
Flag Football Development
In Term 3, the Birmingham Lions will expand the programme through the development of a dedicated Flag Football team, which will compete within the new BUCS regional competition structure. This follows a successful introduction to the format during last year’s pilot competitions, where the Lions achieved an impressive third-place finish. The team will provide players with an additional opportunity to represent the University, develop their skills and experience one of the fastest-growing formats of American Football.
Facilities
Bournbrook 3G Pitches
We have an extensive range of outdoor pitches on campus, including synthetic 3G pitches and grass pitches, used for both training, and competition.
Training Times
- Tuesday evening (classroom and field)
- Thursday evening (classroom and field)
- Saturday morning (field) pre-season and after winter break
Exact times will be confirmed by the club upon registration.
Competition Opportunities
The club has one team that competes in BUCS Southern 1A.
Membership Price
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£230 yearly membership