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Photo by Jon Anderson
Officials sign ceremonial agreements extending the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, through at least 2028, with two additional one-year options for the SEC through 2030. The press conference was Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. From left are Hoover Parks and Recreation Board President Lynn Cummings, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato speaks at a press conference announcing an extension of the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, through at least 2028, with two additional one-year options for the SEC through 2030. The press conference was Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
State Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, speaks at a press conference announcing an extension of the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, through at least 2028, with two additional one-year options for the SEC through 2030. The press conference was Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
State Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, speaks at a press conference announcing an extension of the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, through at least 2028, with two additional one-year options for the SEC through 2030. The press conference was Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
John Oros, president and CEO of the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, speaks at a press conference announcing an extension of the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, through at least 2028, with two additional one-year options for the SEC through 2030. The press conference was Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
SEC Commissoner Greg Sankey speaks at a press conference announcing an extension of the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, through at least 2028, with two additional one-year options for the SEC through 2030. The press conference was Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
SEC Commissoner Greg Sankey speaks at a press conference announcing an extension of the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, through at least 2028, with two additional one-year options for the SEC through 2030. The press conference was Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
SEC Commissoner Greg Sankey speaks at a press conference announcing an extension of the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, through at least 2028, with two additional one-year options for the SEC through 2030. The press conference was Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Officials pose for a photo at a press conference announcing an extension of the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, through at least 2028, with two additional one-year options for the SEC through 2030. The press conference was Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. From left are Hoover Parks and Recreation Board President Lynn Cummings, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato.
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SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, second from left, talks with state Rep. David Faulkner and state Sen. Jabo Waggoner after a press conference announcing an extension of the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. At left is Hoover Parks and Recreation Board member Rickey Phillips
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Photo by Jon Anderson
SEC Commissoner Greg Sankey speaks at a press conference announcing an extension of the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, through at least 2028, with two additional one-year options for the SEC through 2030. The press conference was Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024.
The Southeastern Conference, city of Hoover and Hoover Parks and Recreation Board today officially announced an extension of the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium for at least four more years.
The three parties signed ceremonial copies of an agreement that will keep the tournament in Hoover through at least 2028, and the SEC has the option to extend the tournament through 2030 if desired.
But Hoover wasn’t the only city interested in hosting the tournament.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said the conference has interest from other cities all the time, but particularly when the conference is close to the end of an agreement, like it was this year.
“You’ll have outreach from other cities that have high-quality minor league stadiums. We’ve actually had more interest from Major League stadiums wanting to figure out if we could configure our tournament with them,” Sankey said after today’s press conference.
“But through the conversations with our athletic directors, our baseball coaches and the city of Hoover, this continues to be the right place for us,” Sankey said. “Even with our expansion westward the last few times, the geographic center of our league is just north of Birmingham, so this is an accessible city.”
Second, Hoover has a lot of options for nearby hotels, and, third, Hoover has made a continuous effort to upgrade not only the Hoover Met stadium, but the Finley Center, the Hoover RV Park, the practice fields around the stadium and the dining and shopping amenities near the stadium, Sankey said.
“All of those things, I think, are representations of the commitment that this locale has to provide a great experience and a great event for both the teams and our fans,” he said.
The Hoover Met has been home for the SEC Baseball Tournament 28 times, including the last 26 consecutive tournaments, and has done a great job with it. But one of the greatest threats to any successful organization is complacency, and “we never want to be complacent,” Sankey said.
The SEC wants to make sure it gives its teams and fans the best experience possible, and the city of Hoover certainly hasn’t been complacent either, he said.
The city of Hoover the past two years has spent about $14 million to upgrade the Hoover Met, including renovating the locker rooms, umpire rooms and media room, covering nearby batting cages, painting the roof, redesigning the entrance to the stadium and redesigning and repaving the parking lot and driveway entrance.
The city also has about $11 million worth of upgrades planned as a third phase of improvements set to be done in time for the 2025 tournament.
Those improvements include:
- A redesign and repaving of the rest of the parking lot that extends over to the Finley Center
- Construction of a 4,250-square-foot club suite addition down the third base side on the concourse level, with glass doors that open up to a new chairback seating section
- Construction of a new two-tier outfield hospitality patio on the first base side of the field between the scoreboard and bullpen
- Replacement of chairback seating on the lower bowl of the stadium
- Conversion of six sections of aluminum bleachers on the second level to chairback seating
- Installation of new backs on the remaining aluminum bleachers
- Creation of a new entrance from the lower parking lot on third base side of the field
- Renovation of the concourse area, including new flooring and light fixtures to give the stadium a more modern look
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Photo by Jon Anderson
These renderings show planned improvements at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, scheduled to be made in advance of the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament. The improvements include stadium seat replacements, a renovated concourse, a new right field hospitality patio and hospitality club suite on the third base side.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
This rendering shows the concourse area at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, which is slated to have new flooring and light fixtures designed to give the concourse a more modern look.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
This rendering shows the seating area at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. The city plans to replace the chairback seating, replace some aluminum bleacher seating with chairbacks and replace the backs of the remaining aluminum bleachers.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
This rendering shows a planned right field hospitality patio at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
This rendering shows a planned 4,250-square-foot hospitality club suite addition on the third base side at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.
“We’re proud to provide a facility and a community that helps make the tournament one of the highlights of the college baseball season,” Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said. “Over the next four years, we promise to continue a great tradition and a wonderful tournament. Whether you’ve been coming for years or this will be your first trip to the Met, you can count on our city to deliver great baseball and unforgettable memories.”
Brocato said the signing of this new agreement is more than just a contract extension.
“It’s a testament to the incredible partnership we have between our city and the SEC and the passionate fans who travel from all across the country to attend this classic event,” the mayor said. “Our city has had the privilege of welcoming the best college baseball talent in the nation, along with thousands of loyal fans. The Hoover Met isn’t just a stadium. It’s a gathering place for memories and excitement and just a shared love of the game.”
The impact of the SEC Baseball Tournament goes beyond baseball, Brocato said.
“It’s about community. It’s about our businesses, which thrive during this event. It’s about our hospitality industry, which welcomes fans with open arms, and it’s about our city’s identity and a place where excellence is celebrated and traditions are built,” he said. “Hotels fill up. Restaurants buzz with energy, and our local shops see a surge in business. But just as importantly, this tournament brings people together. We see families returning, making the SEC tournament in Hoover an annual tradition. We see young kids in the stands dreaming of taking the field themselves.”
John Oros, president and CEO of the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the SEC Tournament has an estimated annual economic impact of about $15 million, and it helps not only Hoover, but all of Jefferson County.
Sports tourism is essential to the local economy and to enhancing the quality of life for residents, Oros said.
The tourism and hospitality industry is hyper-competitive when it comes to attracting events such as the SEC Baseball Tournament, Oros said.
“Every city in the Southeast would love to have this tournament,” he said. “To keep these events, you’ve got to have great facilities. The competition’s good, and it’s getting better.”
He’s proud and thankful to see Hoover invest money into the Hoover Met, he said.
Others have invested money into the tournament, too. The Alabama Legislature allocated $1 million to assist with the SEC Baseball Tournament, while the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau this year provided a $125,000 grant and the Alabama Tourism Department provided a $75,000 grant.
State Rep. David Faulkner thanked Brocato for having a “relentless passion” for keeping the SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover.
“I hope it will never leave here,” Faulkner said. “This is a great venue for the SEC tournament. It means a lot to the Alabama Legislature for this tournament to stay right here at the Hoover Met.”
State Sen. Jabo Waggoner, whose youngest son played baseball at Auburn, said he’s been coming to the tournament for a long time and can’t imagine why anyone would consider moving it.
Oros said he’s especially excited to see Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC and coming to the baseball tournament next year. It will enhance the competitive spirit of the SEC and bring even more visitors to the Birmingham-Hoover area, he said.
“The presence of these nationally renowned institutions will undoubtedly amplify the economic benefits of the tournament as their passionate fans join us in celebrating this premier event,” Oros said. “Together, this tournament will continue to create unforgettable memories for our residents and further strengthen the bonds that make our community and the SEC family so special to us.”
Lynn Cummings, president of the Hoover Parks and Recreation Board, said many people may not realize it takes more than 300 volunteers to host the SEC Baseball Tournament. “Volunteers are vital to the operations and success,” she said. “One thing you can count on is Southern hospitality to everyone who walks through these gates.”
Sankey said he truly appreciates the camaraderie that has helped among fans of different teams that come to the SEC Baseball Tournament each year.
This past May during the tournament, he visited some of the tents set up outside the stadium, he said. While the team names on the tents were South Carolina, Arkansas and LSU, there were fans from multiple other teams underneath those tents enjoying their time together, despite the intense rivalries between the schools, he said. “We need more of that.”
Brocato said Vanderbilt’s coach told him during this year’s tournament that the Hoover Met was one of the two best venues in the country in college baseball, the other being the Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, where the College World Series is played.
“No doubt the road to Omaha is through Hoover, Alabama, at the Hoover Met,” Brocato said.
The format for the SEC Baseball Tournament will change in 2025 from a 12-team tournament to include all 16 teams in the SEC and switch to a single-elimination tournament.
Four games will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday to open the tournament, and two games will be played on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The championship game will remain on Sunday afternoon. Tickets will go on sale in March at secsports.com.
