BJCC: Funding secured to host USFL inaugural season in B’ham

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Officials with the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex said Thursday financial commitments have been secured to advance the opportunity to host the inaugural season of the new USFL in Birmingham next year.

According to Tad Snider, Executive Director and CEO of the BJCC Authority, efforts now shift to finalizing agreements for the use of Protective Stadium.

Read the full statement from Snider about this below:

The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County have identified and secured financial commitments in order to advance the opportunity to host the 2022 inaugural season of the USFL in Birmingham.

Many stakeholders are working diligently toward realizing this tremendous opportunity for our community. It’s involved a significant collaboration among Mayor Randall Woodfin, the Birmingham City Council, the Jefferson County Commission and Commission President Jimmie Stephens, the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau and the BJCC.

Efforts now shift to finalizing agreements for the use of Protective Stadium as the primary venue for hosting USFL games and activities. Protective Stadium was built with the goal of positioning Birmingham to attract this type of world-class sports and entertainment opportunity.

This step is an exciting development and we anticipate a formal announcement soon.

Read the statement from Birmingham City Councilman Hunter Williams below:

Sports and other tourism are an important part of economic development for Birmingham and Jefferson County. They create jobs and have a positive impact on our hotels, restaurants, retail stores, and many other businesses throughout the area.

When we did our part as a city to help fund the construction of Protective Stadium and the renovation of Legacy Arena, we put in place a neighborhood revitalization fund so that taxes generated from the BJCC would go toward repaving streets, removing blight and funding other important needs in all 99 neighborhoods.

In recent weeks we have been presented with the opportunity to work with Fox Sports to bring Spring football to Birmingham. This proposal is far different from the previous efforts to create a viable new football league. For the first time, this effort has the support of the NFL, Fox Sports and NBC, with all games and operations for the first season to occur in Birmingham. Our city and our region will benefit from the tremendous economic impact, as well as exposure around the world from this effort.

After talking with the administration and a majority of the city council, we plan to recommend and approve the city of Birmingham to allocate up to $500,000 to help make this exciting opportunity a reality. This funding will be made possible through Birmingham’s hotel surcharge that is earmarked for sports and tourism and will be matched from our partners at the Jefferson County Commission.

Birmingham is on the move. Our investments in quality facilities are already paying off. We look forward to continuing to grow our city and our region through sporting events and tourism which will grow our economy and provide quality venues and entertainment for our citizens.

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