SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.
Issue link: https://sportsevents.epubxp.com/i/634578
January 2016 38 www.sportseventsmagazine.com Alabama has a rich history and tradition with sports. The state offers families a great value to anyone traveling to one of our out- standing communities for tournaments, com- petitions and events," said Don Dukemineer, chairman of Sports Alabama. "From the mountains in the north to the white sandy beaches in the south, Alabama can't be beat with our year-round weather, true Southern hospitality and world-class facilities." n Search for CVBs, sports commissions & sports facilities at www.sportseventsmagazine.com Alabama's Sports Events Scene… S I T E S E L E C T I O N G U I D E : A L A B A M A GUIDES BY PAIGE TOWNLEY t 2014 Class 4A State Championship game in Auburn Alabama Auburn/Opelika Auburn and neighboring city Opelika provide a college-town atmosphere with dining options within walking distance of facilities. Hotel rooms: 2,500 Hotel tax rate: 13 percent Major facilities: Auburn Arena is a 9,000-seat multi-purpose arena for sports like basketball and gymnastics. The James E. Martin Aquatic Center is a 63,000-square-foot facility housing an Olympic-sized pool and two mov- able bulkheads. The 4,300-square-foot Yarbrough Tennis Complex includes six indoor courts, 12 outdoor hard courts and 16 outdoor clay courts. Hutsell-Rosen Track has a track, jumping and throw- ing areas and a meet control booth. The Auburn Softball Complex has fve felds. Duck Samford Sports Complex is home to regulation-sized baseball and softball felds. Auburn Soccer Complex has six full-sized, lighted felds and one unlit feld. Contact: Auburn/Opelika Tourism Bureau, www.aotourism.com. Birmingham In the heart of the state is Birmingham. The city offers thousands of hotel rooms, a nearby airport and a number of ven- ues. Plans are being developed for a new facility, the Hoover SportsPlex, a $70 million sports complex that will include six soccer felds, eight baseball/ softball felds, 15 tennis courts and a 141,000-square-foot indoor facility for events such as basketball and volleyball. Hotel rooms: 14,000 Hotel tax rate: 17 percent Major facilities: Birmingham Crossplex is a new $55 million aquatic center and indoor track sports complex designed for indoor track and feld, com- petitive swimming and diving and volley- ball. Legacy Arena at the Birmingham- Jefferson Convention Complex has a seating capacity of 18,000 and offers a main foor covering 17,000 square feet. The 72,000-seat Legion Field is used primarily for football. Bartow Arena is a multi-purpose venue that houses 18,000 square feet of foor space. Barber Motorsports Park includes a 2.38-mile track with lawn seating for thousands of spectators. The Bearded Man Every day, residents of Birmingham have one man looking out over them: Vulcan, the Roman god of fre and forge. The statue sits high atop Red Mountain and is the larg- est cast iron statue in the world, second in size only to the Statue of Liberty. The statue is a symbol of Birmingham's iron origins. n Auburn/Opelika Tourism Bureau