Could football fans across Auburn, Central Alabama, and South Alabama all go from seeing the Birmingham Stallions leave Protective Stadium to the team moving closer to them into the state's capital city, despite perhaps already accepting that pro football could be gone from the Yellowhammer State? Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed is doing his darndest to make that happen.
Reed released a statement on Friday in response to UFL owner Mike Repole's complaints on Thursday that Protective Stadium has too many seats (47,000) to successfully maximize the UFL's gameday atmosphere. Repole's comments were in the same announcement that made it official that the Stallions were leaving Birmingham and the Gamblers were leaving Houston.
Reed wants to keep the Stallions in the state of Alabama in his city if the Magic City is no longer an option.
“Our door is open, and we stand ready to work with the league, community partners, and stakeholders to help keep the Stallions in Alabama while creating a lasting asset that benefits Montgomery and the entire region for generations to come,” Reed wrote in part.
“Montgomery has long believed there is an opportunity to develop a right-sized stadium that can serve multiple purposes — from football and soccer to community events and entertainment — while supporting economic growth, tourism, and quality of life throughout the Capital City. If the UFL is committed to keeping the Stallions in Alabama, we would welcome the opportunity to have that conversation.”
Repole intimated that the atmosphere in Birmingham wasn't up to snuff for the league and threw under the bus the people who helped his league rent the stadium for free. Repole would compliment Shell Energy Stadium and the city of Houston for their role in "reestablishing modern spring football."
Just remember, in 2022, before the XFL returned and eventually monopolized spring football, selling it to a PE shark like Repole, the USFL ran an eight-team league that played every single game at Protective Stadium. Every player in the league lived and practiced in Birmingham. Because of that, the USFL survived and had a second season. The rest, as they say, is spring football history.
If Repole does truly "appreciate the passion of the fans and respect the history of the Birmingham Stallions," you'd think he would repay that loyalty. But alas.
Mike Repole could make this right with Alabama
Now, importantly, Reed's invitation allows Repole to make good on a major promise to "return as soon as the right stadium solution becomes available." It'd be a major boost to bring the Stallions to a more centralized location in the state.
Several Montgomery venues with roughly half (or less) the capacity of Protective Stadium include the Cramton Bowl (21,000+), ASU Stadium (26,500), or, if you want to really downsize, Riverwalk Stadium (7,000), home of the MiLB's AA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, the Montgomery Biscuits. From the sounds of it, Reed wants a new stadium built with the UFL in mind, though.
Repole could make this right by simply keeping his word. If there isn't serious consideration for the city of Montgomery to keep the Stallions in-state, then it'll be clear that Repole doesn't want to do business in Alabama anymore.
If that's the case, he might as well have just said it and not sold hope.
Maybe Reed could prove himself to his constituents and bring the Stallions to The Gump.
We'll just have to wait, see, and hope.
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