Tag: Sports
Commission Considering Funding to Keep Magic City Classic in Birmingham
The Jefferson County Commission today sent a resolution to the agenda of Thursday’s meeting to pay $500,000 to the Alabama Sports Council in support of the Magic City Classic.
The resolution followed a vigorous discussion among commission members about the level of support the county will provide to the annual gridiron meeting between Alabama State and Alabama A&M universities.
Commissioner Lashunda Scales initially presented a resolution for the county to pay the ASC $750,000 for each of the next three years to help keep the game at Birmingham’s Legion Field, where the past 80 Classics have been played. Read more.
It’s Official: Birmingham Will Host USFL’s Inaugural Season
The Birmingham Stallions will play the New Jersey Generals in the United States Football League’s first game on April 16. Read more.
NBA G League’s Birmingham Squadron Hosts Home Opener at Legacy Arena
WBHM
The Birmingham Squadron will face the Mexico City Capitanes Sunday at the newly renovated Legacy Arena. Read more.
After a Blowout Pilot Season, High School Girls Flag Football Could Be an Official Sport in Alabama
The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s pilot season of girls flag football culminated Wednesday with a championship game between Hewitt-Trussville and Smiths Station high schools at Birmingham’s new Protective Stadium. The Lady Huskies of Hewitt-Trussville defeated the Lady Panthers of Smiths Station in a thrilling overtime game.
“These athletes out there, they’re good,” said Jeff Segars, assistant director of the AHSAA.
Earlier this year, the central board for the association voted to make girls flag football a pilot program this season. Hundreds of students competed on 40 teams across the state. The sport isn’t officially sanctioned by the association just yet, but Segars said they’re hoping to move in that direction.
“Based on our bylaws, if we have enough member schools who are going to sponsor a team for 2022-23, we will sanction it,” Segars said. Read more.
Woodlawn Stadium Bid Approved; Stadium Could Be Built by Fall
Karlos Dansby had one more reason to be thankful this Black Friday morning when he learned that the Birmingham Board of Education had accepted the bid to build a football stadium and fieldhouse on the campus of Woodlawn High School.
“Without a doubt, I’m thankful,” said Dansby, a 2000 alumnus of Woodlawn who went on to play at Auburn University before playing in the National Football League. “Happy Thanksgiving to everybody and I look forward to seeing this project come to life.”
The board of education on Tuesday unanimously approved a bid of $8.7 million with Argo Building Company for a new stadium and fieldhouse at Woodlawn High. Work on the project is expected to be completed in fall 2022.
It initially rejected the bid Nov. 9 with five members voting no, two voting yes and one abstaining after the estimated base project cost more than doubled from the initial $4.2 million estimate. Read more.
Board Rejects Bid for Woodlawn High Stadium
Just shy of four months after the ceremonial groundbreaking, the Birmingham Board of Education Tuesday rejected the bid to build a stadium and fieldhouse on the campus of Woodlawn High School.
Five board members — Leticia Watkins, James A. Sullivan, Derrick L. Billups, Neonta Williams and Jason Meadows — voted against approval of the bid. Walt Wilson and Sonja Smith voted in favor with Sherman Collins Jr. and Mary Boehm abstaining.
The stadium had been trumpeted as a major boost to Woodlawn High School, one of just two Birmingham City Schools that does not have an on-campus stadium. The other, Ramsay High, is landlocked.
“I would like for us to start the project over, bringing as much information as we have to the forefront in the beginning,” Watkins said. “If the cost of the materials has gone up at that time, I don’t think there’s a question about what we’re willing to invest in our young people and we’re willing to make this happen for them. We just want the process to be better.”
The initial base estimate on the project was $4.2 million. Architect Charles Williams said the revised estimate is $8.7 million. Read more.
JeffCo Considers Kicking in $500K to Bring USFL to Birmingham
Jefferson County commissioners will give final consideration Thursday to a proposal to chip in $500,000 to bring the USFL headquarters and teams to Birmingham. They’ll also take up maps for new commission districts. In Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners also said efforts to get a disaster declaration approved for Oct. 5 flooding are proceeding and discussed other topics. Read more.
