TUSCALOOSA, AL — After years of planning, revisions and public debate, developers and city leaders officially broke ground this week on the Sports Illustrated Resorts project in Tuscaloosa.
Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.
Travel + Leisure Co. announced Wednesday that construction is now underway on the sports-themed mixed-use resort along the Black Warrior River off Rice Mine Road.
Local leaders and company officials also held a groundbreaking Wednesday to mark the occasion.
Developers announced that the project, expected to open in 2028, will become the first ground-up collegiate market development for the Sports Illustrated Resorts brand.
Wednesday’s groundbreaking comes nearly three years after Sports Hospitality Ventures and Travel + Leisure first announced plans to bring the nation’s first Sports Illustrated college town resort to Tuscaloosa in September 2023.
As Patch previously reported, developers proposed a larger resort campus featuring a full-service hotel, vacation club and residential condominiums with an initial target opening date of late 2025.
Since then, the proposal has undergone multiple revisions amid neighborhood concerns over building height, density and traffic impacts. Earlier concepts included a hotel tower reaching as high as 10 stories before developers later scaled the project back to six-story structures.
ALSO READ: Questions Persist As Developer Reveals Changes To Sports Illustrated Resort Concept
The revised project now includes two six-story towers connected by a central lobby.
According to Travel + Leisure Co., the development will feature 75 whole-ownership condominiums and 86 vacation ownership units instead of the originally proposed large hotel component.
Travel + Leisure Co. Chief Operating Officer Geoff Richards said Tuscaloosa was a natural fit for the concept due to its proximity to "one of the most iconic programs in college sports and a fan base that defines game day culture"
“This groundbreaking represents an important milestone as we expand into premier sports markets and create destinations where guests don’t just watch sports — they’re part of the experience," he said.
Developers say the resort is designed to create a year-round destination centered around college athletics and sports tourism, an industry company officials previously estimated generates tens of billions of dollars annually.
Plans for the resort also include an owner’s lounge with stadium-style seating for watch parties, indoor and outdoor bars, a game lounge, coffee bar, rooftop terrace event space and retail areas intended to serve both visitors and residents year-round.
The architectural design is expected to blend sports-inspired features with traditional Southern architecture reflective of the University of Alabama and Tuscaloosa’s college football culture.
Developers also say the project will create hundreds of construction jobs and long-term employment opportunities in the area.
While Tuscaloosa will serve as the flagship collegiate-market project in the expanding Sports Illustrated Resorts portfolio, similar developments have also been announced for Baton Rouge, Nashville and Chicago.
Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Tuscaloosa, AL Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.