SEC baseball tournament likely to remain in Hoover through 2028

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SEC baseball tournament likely to remain in Hoover through 2028

Updated: Aug. 16, 2024, 12:48 p.m.|Published: Aug. 16, 2024, 12:37 p.m.

3–4 minutes

The SEC baseball tournament has taken place at the Hoover Met every year since 1998. A new agreement set to be voted on Monday by the Hoover City Council would keep the tournament in town through at least 2028. Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com

By

Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com

An agreement between the City of Hoover and the Southeastern Conference to keep the SEC baseball tournament at the Hoover Met Complex through 2028 is expected to approved next week.

A City of Hoover spokesperson confirmed to AL.com that the Hoover City Council will vote on the proposed agreement Monday, but declined to go into specifics regarding the terms of the contract extension. Hoover Parks and Recreation Director Erin Colbaugh introduced the proposal at Thursday’s council meeting, according to a report by the Hoover Sun.

The City of Hoover released the following statement early Friday afternoon:

“On Monday night, August 19, 2024, the Hoover City Council is excited to have an opportunity to approve a new agreement that will allow the City of Hoover to continue hosting the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament. The Hoover Parks and Recreation Board will vote on the matter Tuesday night as well. Once both bodies have approved the agreement, the City and SEC will have an official announcement at a press conference to be held Thursday, August 22nd, 2024 at the Hoover Met Stadium at 9:00 a.m.

“The City will make official comments Thursday at the press conference.”

According to the Hoover Sun report, the city has agreed to make $11 million in renovations to the facility before next year’s tournament, which is set for the last full week of May. Among those improvements are a new club suite down the third-base line, new chairback seating and aluminum bleachers throughout the facility and a redesign and repaving of the parking lot.

The SEC tournament has taken place at the Hoover Met every year since 1998, and was also played there in 1990 and 1996. This year’s tournament drew a record of more than 180,000 fans over six days, including a crowd of more than 15,000 for the May 26 championship game between Tennessee and LSU.

Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC for the 2024-25 athletic year, with the SEC baseball tournament going to a 16-team single-elimination format for the first time.

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