Construction of Bank Independent Stadium at UNA in Florence, Ala., is under way, set to be an impressive venue for football and baseball. The $65 million project includes various facilities and amenities, targeting completion in fall 2026. The stadium is a long-awaited dream come true for the university, with renowned coaches being honored in field names. The project is progressing smoothly, attracting significant interest and excitement from the community.
UNA Athletics photo
The project has a base cost of approximately $65 million.
A three-phase project more than half a century in the making is attracting countless onlookers in Florence, Ala.
Daily visitors drive near the site to witness construction of Bank Independent Stadium at the University of North Alabama (UNA).
"I think it's going to be an absolute showstopper, and one of the finest venues in the Southeast," said UNA Director of Athletics Josh Looney. "People watch every day as cranes come in. The reaction is just incredible energy. This will be a 365-day space. We want to serve all members of the Shoals community."
Fite Building Company is leading construction of the school's first-ever university-owned stadium, a project spanning approximately 60,000 sq. ft. Work on the multi-purpose complex includes building a main concourse, a stadium with separate fields for football and baseball, an underground tunnel connecting the field house and a renovation of the baseball hitting facility.
UNA baseball's space for the 2025 season includes a new playing surface, an all-chairback seating concourse, a video board and an outfield wall that resembles Fenway Park's historic "Green Monster."
Looney said keeping up with the flurry of activity on campus isn't easy, but he's thrilled to see a long-envisioned dream become reality.
"For 50 plus years, we've been sharing Braly Municipal Stadium with Florence High School," he said. "As that stadium has aged and we've evolved into a Division I institution, there's definitely a need for us to have a stadium to call our own, with our colors.
"Also, how often do you get an opportunity to build a stadium from the ground up in college athletics," added Looney. "The amount of people who will drive and park each day to see what's happening with construction is really neat. There's a lot of eyes on this."
The project has a base cost of approximately $65 million. Launch of the historic Shine On, Gold comprehensive campaign to raise $100 million for UNA helped move the project forward.
A stadium groundbreaking ceremony took place in summer 2024, which included remarks by Bank Independent President Macke Mauldin.
"Bank Independent is proud to be part of this historic project at the University of North Alabama," he said. "As a community bank, we are deeply committed to investing in initiatives that make a positive difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors. Whether it's a football or baseball game, a soccer match, a concert or community gathering, Bank Independent Stadium will provide a state-of-the-art facility for all of north Alabama.
"This facility will not only bring excitement and pride but also a significant economic impact, acting as a catalyst for growth in our region," he added.
Full project completion is scheduled for fall 2026, but significant progress has already been made. For months, construction crews have been hard at work on the baseball field and at the UNA Spring Sports Complex at Cox Creek. In 2026-2027, as the stadium prepares to open, the university's marching band will become the primary tenant at Cox Creek. Florence-based Carbine Construction was selected as general contractor for that undertaking.
Looney said that Hoar Project Management (HPM) and Davis Architects were selected to begin initial work on the stadium.
"We couldn't be happier with project manager HPM, and Davis has been a great architect," said Looney. "To be able to find two in-state companies that have so much nationwide respect has been tremendous."
Mammoth Sports Construction partnered with Davis Architects to provide design services, while Birmingham-based Cooper Construction was awarded the phase one construction bid to include baseball construction and stadium site groundwork.
"Total rough excavation for the football bowl is 69,000 cubic yards between packages A and B," said HPM Project Manager Matt Ernst. "Approximately 40,000 cubic yards was used on site as fill material for the baseball field in package A."
Ernst said CFA (continuous flight auger) piles were installed as the deep foundation solution using a CFA drill rig. Other equipment includes excavators, dozers, cranes, backhoes, skid steers and turf mowers.
Main materials needed to complete the project include concrete, steel, turf, polymers, technical equipment and glass. Interior construction calls for gypsum wallboard assemblies, cement plastering, architectural woodwork, hollow metal doors and frames, wood doors, ceramic tiling, acoustical panel ceilings, resilient flooring, carpeting, wall coverings and paint.
Cindy Conlon, associate vice president of facilities, administration and planning of UNA, said, "The project is ongoing, and our challenges have been minimal. Most have been addressed within the design phase. The baseball field is complete, while the press box area and the seating have yet to be installed. On the football side, we are working on the bowl, and the concrete is being poured for the footings."
Conlon added UNA worked with two contractors on Bank Independent Stadium.
"One was brought in early on, in order to dig the bowl for the football stadium and then use that dirt to bring the baseball field for that side of the complex up to grade," she said. "The second contractor will complete the north side of the bowl, incorporating all drainage, pouring the concrete footings and digging the tunnel to connect Flowers Hall to Bank Independent Stadium.
"This work began in June of 2024, and it's mostly finished. A ramp into the bowl to transfer equipment in and out cannot be built until the work is nearing total completion."
Conlon said the premium tower will feature boxes and premium seating.
"Also, the beauty of the concourse is that it will offer fans a 360-degree experience, allowing them to see the field clearly and with an unobstructed view. For baseball, which opened for play in mid-April, we had to bring the field level up to grade. We then added layers of gravel, sand and turf. There are two types of turf — one for baseball and one for football. Football turf is much thicker with an impact ratio."
As for demolition, Conlon said, "We had very little, as it was mostly site excavation from the practice field and existing baseball field. We did remove many loads of dirt that were appropriately disposed of at an approved dumping site. We had cranes remove some lighting at the baseball field, as well as at [what was] the practice field. A crane was brought in, the poles were secured and brought down. We had to involve the city of Florence to organize the move, and we had to have a large trailer to move them out. Some of the light poles can be reused for future projects."
Conlon added weather was a factor for baseball when the bowl filled with water, and there wasn't a drainage system in place. It delayed the project, but only temporarily.
"Bank Independent Stadium has been a long time in the making at the University of North Alabama," she said. "It has been exciting to be participating so closely in the day-to-day construction on the site that will transform the campus for generations to come."
For football, the Florence-Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau chose the name Bobby Wallace Field in honor of the Lions' legendary head coach. In addition, the UNA Foundation rebranded the baseball field in honor of Mike D. Lane, UNA's head baseball coach who saw the team achieve 25 straight winning seasons from his hire in 1984 until his retirement in 2008.
For Looney, helping oversee construction of the stadium complex is an honor and a privilege. He considers it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"We're making history here on campus. It's exciting, and well worth the wait for this community." CEG
Cindy Riley
Birmingham, Ala., native Cindy RIley originally planned on a career in law, but during her sophomore year in college realized journalism was her true calling. A magna cum laude graduate of Samford University, Riley first worked in radio and TV. Named Best News Anchor, Best News Reporter and Best Investigative Reporter by the Associated Press, she interviewed numerous personalities, ranging from Dr. Henry Kissinger and President Bush to Michael Jordan and Captain Kangaroo.
As a print journalist, Riley has covered a variety of topics, including construction, business, health and the arts. In addition to CEG, her work has appeared in special reports for USA Today and the L.A. Times. Other publications have included New South Magazine, Portico, Thicket, Alabama Heritage, B-Metro, Business First and Birmingham Business Journal.
Read more from Cindy Riley here.
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