Ladd-Peebles Stadium could become a 25,000-seat stadium hosting primarily high school football and serve as an anchor to an emerging sports complex under an agreement the Mobile City Council unanimously approved Tuesday.

The Mobile County School Board, which represents Alabama’s largest school system, still has to approve the agreement that transfers the 75-year-old stadium from city ownership to the school. The board plans to vote on their agreement Monday.

Under the agreement, the city will spend close to $10 million on the future renovations of the stadium, which includes a $650,000 replacement of its field turf ahead of the start of high school football season late next month.

“I think this is a historic opportunity for the stadium and for the community,” Councilman Joel Daves said. “This agreement will secure the stadium’s future far into the distant future.”

The approval came one day after Mobile County School officials released a list of “non-negotiable” items they felt should be included in the agreement.

That list was included in a letter signed by Superintendent Chresal Threadgill and board president Sherry Dillihay-McDade, and was forwarded to council members late Monday.

Highlights include:

• Building a stadium of over 25,000 seats and designed in a manner to increase temporary seating capacity or future expansion to 30,000. The flexibility to add more seating was something the council’s three Black members wanted as a way to continue hosting Historically Black College and University (HBCU) football games. The city hosts four of them each year, though the average attendance for them has been around 21,000 fans.
• If temporary additional seating is needed, it will be allowed but it will be at the responsibility of the event sports to arrange and pay for it. City officials said that, depending on the event, the city could help pay for additional seating.
• The School Board does not want improvements to the stadium be the subject of approval by the Mobile City Council. A previous agreement voted on only by the council required that any improvements come back to the council for consideration.

The letter represented the first time the school board had provided its wishes, in writing, for the future of Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

“I think this entire council is happy to see a compromise come to us,” said Councilwoman Gina Gregory. “We were waiting on definitive word from the school board.”

She added, “One of the main things in the discussions, and which was very much of interest with the council, is the amount of seating. I think we have that handled.”

High schools, HBCU

The agreement will allow the school system to reduce Ladd-Peebles Stadium’s overall seating capacity from around 40,000 to 25,000. But even at 25,000, the stadium will be one of the largest venues in Alabama hosting primarily high school football games. At 25,000, it will be on par with the seating capacity of the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery.

Ladd-Peebles Stadium is expected to be the permanent home football field for Murphy High School. It will continue to host Williamson High School this fall while a new football stadium for the high school is under construction.

“We are excited,” said school board commissioner Sherry Dillihay-McDade, who represents the Maysville neighborhood where Ladd-Peebles Stadium has stood since the 1940s. “It will be an adventure for us, and we are looking forward to making Ladd a stadium the community of Maysville will be proud of and for hosting Murphy High School games. It will be exciting for the Murphy alumni also.”

The agreement also allows the city to continue hosting HBCU football games at the stadium, which was a sticking point of negotiations in recent weeks.

The council abruptly ended its July 5 meeting after its three Black members – C.J. Small, William Carroll, and Cory Penn – did not approve the weekly agenda. They later said their concern was over the future use of the stadium.

A previous intergovernmental agreement the council approved in June did not include a capacity requirement for Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Danny Corte, executive director with the Mobile Sports Authority, said that HBCU games average an attendance of around 21,000 spectators. He said on the low-end, the attendance can be around 11,000 fans. An HBCU game last year, featuring the Deion Sanders-coached Jackson State Tigers, drew a crowd of slightly less than 32,000 fans.

“We needed a minimum of 25,000 to continue with the HBCU games,” said Corte. “The 25,000 with the potential to go to 30,000 fits right where we need it for Mobile.”

Senior Bowl return?

The overall future use of the stadium and its surrounding properties remains undetermined.

Corte and other officials say that the school system is exploring the creation of an athletic complex that could result in $40 million to $60 million in new investment. Possibilities include the addition of high school baseball or softball fields.

At least two council members – Small and Penn – said they hope that after renovations are completed, the Reese’s Senior Bowl will return to the stadium. The annual post-season college football all-star game was played at the stadium from 1951-2020, when it was relocated to Hancock-Whitney Stadium at the University of South Alabama.

“My hope is to see the Senior Bowl come back downtown to its original home,” said Council President C.J. Small.

James Barber, chief of Staff to Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, said there have been no conversations about returning the game someday to a renovated Ladd-Peebles Stadium. An official with the Reese’s Senior Bowl did not respond to an immediate request for comment.

Corte said that when the Senior Bowl was held at the stadium, it was not uncommon for corporate sponsors to have a temporary enclosed suite added to the stadium’s south end zone – something that would be allowed under the agreement.

He said the stadium, with the school’s investment, could be attractive for state high school football games and tournaments.

“This investment and partnership with the school board, county and us and Ladd can really open up opportunities we have never done before,” said Corte. “We are putting $30 million to $60 million into that area and it’s a big investment. Our goal is to help get that return back by bringing visitors to town.”

Sports complex

It’s unclear exactly what the school’s plans are for the stadium and its property.

Johnny Hatcher, a school board member, said while there are conversations among school officials about what the complex could be, “nothing officially has been talked about.”

“My position is if we have that facility, and with all of that property … we can generate revenue from sports,” he said. “There is a need for a sports complex. So, if we have all of that property, why not utilize it? Why not have something in place to have a baseball tournament there or bring in a state championship in baseball and football. Those are things that are beneficial, financially.”

Dillihay-McDade said that in addition to high school football, she would like to see a “battle of the bands” returned to the stadium.

“It’s something the community has always wanted,” she said. “We are looking forward to bringing that back and influencing new programs over there that the community can benefit from.”

She added, “We’ll have to sit down and have discussion on things we want to do as a board and see what we can do and what we will be allowed to do at Ladd, and then we’ll move forward and push this to happen ASAP.”