ADDITIONAL QUOTES

– The Alabama System Board of Trustees approved major upgrades to BBVA Compass Field on Friday that includes a 4,000-seat grandstand to increase its seating capacity to over 5,000 and a 20x40 video board.Additional renovations include a permanent ticket office, concessions stand and permanent restrooms along with spaces for food trucks and hospitality tents. The Marshall Conference Center will also undergo a renovation that contains changing areas for both home and visiting teams and officials."The upgrades to BBVA Compass Field will make it one of the largest and finest on-campus soccer venues in the country," UAB Director of Athleticssaid. "UAB already has an outstanding soccer culture in place, but these improvements to our facility will provide our coaches and student-athletes with an even better platform to showcase their programs and compete at an even higher lever."The facility upgrades come in conjunction with a partnership between UAB and the Birmingham Legion Football Club to house its USL professional soccer team at BBVA Compass Field on the UAB campus. Legion FC will play 17 regular season home matches (subject to change) and potentially host more in Open Cup competition. The Legion's inaugural USL season will begin in March of 2019."We are thankful for the University of Alabama System and their partnership in this decision and hope the result of it will only enhance Birmingham's soccer community moving forward," said Jay Heaps, Legion FC President and General Manager. "We have maintained throughout the selection process that we want to be in the city center – and this site works perfectly for our objectives."UAB signed an eight-year lease agreement with the Birmingham Legion Football Club that will bring approximately 20 different events and over 100,000 people per year to campus."The field is centrally located with ample parking and easy access to interstates," said Lee Styslinger III, Altec chairman and CEO and co-owner of Birmingham Legion FC. "Additionally, there are multiple establishments nearby to enjoy both before and after games – from restaurants to craft breweries and more. We are excited about this partnership with such a phenomenal community partner.""UAB is proud to partner with Legion FC and the USL in support of this important addition to Birmingham's growing sports and entertainment landscape," said UAB President Ray L. Watts, "We look forward to welcoming Blazer and Legion soccer fans to BBVA Compass Field where they will enjoy the facility expansion and enhancements now approved by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees.""I am very excited about the upgrades to BBVA Compass Field. This will do wonders for both our men's and women's teams as far as the fan experience and recruiting. We look forward to seeing this project completed." — UAB men's soccer head coach"In the short time I have been apart of UAB athletics, it has been extremely uplifting to witness the amount of support provided by the city of Birmingham. The addition of a professional team will continue to connect our city and schools' excitement for our sport of soccer." — UAB women's soccer head coachFor more information on UAB men's and women's soccer and the Birmingham Legion, follow @UAB_MSOC, UAB_WSOC and @bhmlegion on Twitter and Instagram.