UFL co-owner Mike Repole responded to a letter from Protective Stadium this week, and used the post to lay out a plan for a new stadium and development district in the Birmingham metro.
The exchange started when AL.com columnist Roy S. Johnson posted that Protective Stadium had asked him to share its response to Repole. Johnson's column sits behind a paywall.
Repole led with that.
"Dear Protective Stadium, If you're going to write me a letter, you probably shouldn't put it behind a paywall. Another mistake on your part," Repole wrote.
"Listen, you were too big for me, we broke up. Let's move on," he added.
The Pitch
Repole then turned to what he wants next.
"Metro Birmingham let's build the future," he wrote. "Let's find 100 acres and build a modern 8,000-12,000-seat outdoor stadium for the Birmingham Stallions, @bhmlegion and Birmingham Legions women's team."
He said the project should go past football.
"And let's make it much bigger than a stadium: restaurants, hotels, offices, residential, entertainment and real estate development, creating jobs and economic growth for the entire Birmingham area," Repole wrote.
He said he has already found three Metro Birmingham locations, and closed with a date and a question.
"I'll see everyone at the Michigan Panthers vs. Birmingham Stallions opening game in our new stadium in 2029," Repole wrote. "I'm for solutions not excuses. Where should we build it??? Who's joining me???"
The Three Locations
Repole shared a map with the post, per ABC 33/40. None of the three sites sit inside Birmingham city limits.
Liberty Park / Eastern Vestavia Hills is the top target, 10 to 12 miles from Protective Stadium near I-459. The map calls it an "affluent, close-in, high-income southeast corridor."
South Hoover, near I-459 and Highway 150, sits 13 to 15 miles out. The map cites the "strongest existing commercial base," listing hotels, restaurants, and access.
Trussville / Deerfoot Parkway is 15 to 17 miles from Protective Stadium. The map calls it a "young growth corridor."
The map gives the first two sites an edge because both sit in Jefferson County and are closer to Protective Stadium. It lists mayors, city councils, and economic development officials as the contacts for each.
Why the Stallions Are Leaving
The UFL announced July 30 that it will leave Birmingham after the 2026 season as part of a market realignment.
"With Birmingham, this decision was 100% due to the wrong sized venue," Repole said at the time.
Protective Stadium holds about 47,000. The UFL covered the upper bowl in 2026 to shrink the setup. Birmingham drew 18,340 for its home opener against the Orlando Storm on April 18 and filled 18 percent of the building over the season, last in the UFL by fill rate. The Stallions still out-drew Dallas and Houston in raw attendance. They finished 4-6 and missed the playoffs.
The league looked at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium and found it did not have the spring dates a UFL season requires.
The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, which operates Protective Stadium, responded through CEO Tad Snider.
"Under the UFL, the business model for the league has evolved to capitalize on playing in much smaller venues than Protective Stadium," Snider said. "We wish the organization well."
Jefferson County Commission Chair Jimmie Stephens said the league gave him the same reason.
"They said the stadium didn't provide the atmosphere they were seeking and did not fit in their business model," Stephens said.
What Repole Has Offered
After the departure was announced, Repole told Stallions fans he would help bring the team back if the area produced a 10,000- to 15,000-seat venue. He said he would help "professionally" and, under the right circumstances, "financially." His new post drops the target to 8,000 to 12,000 seats and adds locations.
"We've been transparent with local mayors and city leadership that we'd love to return as soon as the right stadium solution becomes available, and we are willing to participate in accelerating those efforts," Repole said.
What Is Not Settled
No land purchase or construction deal exists at any of the three sites. No financing plan has been announced. It is not clear how much Repole or the UFL would invest, whether leaders in Vestavia Hills, Hoover, or Trussville have talked with him, or whether Birmingham Legion FC has discussed becoming a tenant.
Birmingham became the hub of the relaunched USFL in 2022, hosting all eight teams and all 40 regular-season games over 10 weeks at Protective Stadium and Legion Field. The Stallions stayed in the city through the USFL-XFL merger that formed the UFL, and won three championships in five years.