UFL Owner Eyes 3 Birmingham-Area Sites for Possible New Stallions Stadium

The Birmingham Stallions may be leaving the city, but United Football League co-owner Mike Repole is already proposing a path to bring the team back to the Birmingham metro, and none of the locations he’s suggesting are within Birmingham city limits.

In a new social media post, Repole called for developing a 100-acre sports and entertainment district centered around a new 8,000- to 12,000-seat outdoor stadium.

Repole said he envisions the stadium serving as the future home of the Birmingham Stallions, Birmingham Legion FC and the Legion’s women’s team.

He also put a date on his vision: 2029.

“I’ll see everyone at the Michigan Panthers vs. Birmingham Stallions opening game in our new stadium in 2029,” Repole wrote.

Three potential locations

Along with his post, Repole shared a map identifying three areas of the Birmingham metro he believes could accommodate the development.

1. Liberty Park/Eastern Vestavia

The map identifies the Liberty Park and eastern Vestavia Hills area near Interstate 459 as Repole’s top target. It describes the area as an “affluent, close-in, high-income southeast corridor” approximately 10 to 12 miles from Protective Stadium.

2. South Hoover/I-459-Highway 150

Repole’s second target is the South Hoover area near Interstate 459 and Highway 150, approximately 13 to 15 miles from Protective Stadium.

His map describes it as having the “strongest existing commercial base,” citing hotels, restaurants and central access.

3. Trussville/Deerfoot Parkway

The third potential location is the Trussville/Deerfoot Parkway corridor, roughly 15 to 17 miles from Protective Stadium.

The map describes that area as a “young growth corridor” with strong regional access.

Notably, none of the three proposed locations are in the City of Birmingham.

All three are suburban locations within the Birmingham metropolitan area. The map identifies local mayors, city councils and economic development officials as the primary contacts or decision-makers for each proposal.

Repole’s map also says the first two locations, Liberty Park/Eastern Vestavia and South Hoover, have an advantage because both are in Jefferson County and are closer to Protective Stadium.

More than a stadium

Repole’s latest proposal goes significantly beyond his previous calls for a smaller football stadium.

He now says he wants approximately 100 acres for a mixed-use development incorporating restaurants, hotels, offices, residential development, entertainment and other real estate around the stadium.

The goal, according to Repole, would be to create jobs and economic growth throughout the Birmingham area.

“Metro Birmingham let’s build the future,” Repole wrote. “Let’s find 100 acres and build a modern 8,000–12,000-seat outdoor stadium.”

Latest chapter in dispute over Protective Stadium

The proposal is the latest development in an increasingly public dispute over the future of professional spring football in Birmingham.

The UFL officially announced July 30 that it would leave Birmingham after the 2026 season as part of a broader market realignment.

Repole said at the time the Birmingham decision was “100% due to the wrong sized venue.”

Protective Stadium holds approximately 47,000 spectators. Repole has repeatedly argued that the UFL needs substantially smaller venues capable of producing packed crowds, stronger demand and a more energetic television and game-day atmosphere.

Before announcing the Stallions’ departure, Repole said the league had explored Hoover Metropolitan Stadium as a possible alternative but determined it did not have the spring dates necessary to accommodate a UFL season.

The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, which operates Protective Stadium, previously acknowledged the league’s changing strategy.

“Under the UFL, the business model for the league has evolved to capitalize on playing in much smaller venues than Protective Stadium,” BJCC CEO Tad Snider said following the UFL’s decision. “We wish the organization well.”

Repole says he’s willing to invest

Repole has also previously said he would consider putting his own financial resources behind an effort to return the Stallions to the area.

Following the announcement that the team would leave, Repole told frustrated Stallions fans that he was committed to bringing the franchise back if the Birmingham area could develop a stadium seating roughly 10,000 to 15,000 people.

He said he was willing to help make that happen “professionally” and, under the right circumstances, “financially.”

His latest proposal appears to put more specifics behind that pledge, reducing his preferred capacity to 8,000 to 12,000 seats and identifying potential locations for a larger development surrounding the stadium.

A 2029 return?

Repole’s latest post is his most specific proposal yet for bringing the Stallions back to the Birmingham area.

However, significant questions remain.

There has been no announced agreement to purchase land or build a stadium at any of the three locations identified on Repole’s map. No financing plan has been announced, and it remains unclear how much Repole or the UFL would be willing to invest in such a project.

It is also unclear whether leaders in Vestavia Hills, Hoover or Trussville have discussed the proposal with Repole or the UFL, or whether Birmingham Legion FC has been involved in discussions about becoming a tenant in a new stadium.

The Stallions’ departure ends a run that began when Birmingham became the hub for the relaunched USFL in 2022. Birmingham hosted all eight teams and all 40 regular-season games over 10 weeks at Protective Stadium and Legion Field before the playoffs moved to Canton, Ohio. The Stallions remained based in Birmingham as the USFL later merged with the XFL to form the UFL.

Now, Repole is publicly pitching a different future: a smaller stadium, a much larger surrounding development and a Stallions return to the Birmingham metro by 2029.