The University of North Alabama on Friday announced plans for a new on-campus football stadium after more than 70 years playing off-campus.

The new Bank Independent Stadium is set to be built on the current site of the UNA practice fields and Mike Lane Stadium, the school’s baseball park. Upon completion, the Lions will move out of city-owned Braly Municipal Stadium, where they have played their home football games since 1949.

The project was approved by a unanimous vote of the UNA Board of Trustees.

“It is a game-changer for football, for athletics, and for the University,” said Steve Pierce, a long- time Board of Trustees member and chair of the Campus Life, Athletics, and Diversity Committee. “As a student from the 1970s, I see the value in having an on-campus stadium, and it is why I am behind this one thousand percent. I believe in the positive benefit this project will have on UNA now, once the Bank Independent Stadium is in use, and well into the future.”

Design for the project is expected to take 12 to 18 months, with an anticipated opening in either 2026 or 2027. External fundraising will be the “core driver” for development of the new stadium, according to a release issued by UNA on Friday.

Though university officials say the size of the stadium is still “under development,” Huntsville TV station WSFA reported Thursday the new facility would seat around 10,000.

“We are so pleased with this step taken today by our Board of Trustees, and thrilled to have the opportunity to take this project into its next phase so that our vision for an on-campus stadium can move forward,” UNA athletics director Josh Looney said. “Today’s vote is the culmination of much work and planning and so many conversations with others who told us, unequivocally, that the time has come to make the idea of an on-campus stadium at UNA a reality.

“We are incredibly appreciative of the philanthropic momentum surrounding this project. Roar Lions!”

Originally opened as Coffee High School Stadium, the Lions’ current facility was renamed in 1964 in honor of Tom Braly Jr., the school’s former football coach and principal. The 14,000-seat Braly Stadium has not undergone any significant upgrades since 1998.

Braly Stadium, which sits less than a mile from the UNA campus adjacent to what is now Florence Middle School, was from 1986 to 2013 the site of the annual NCAA Division II national championship game. The Lions won three consecutive national titles from 1993-95 under legendary coach Bobby Wallace.

UNA began the transition from Division II to the FCS level in 2018, and joined the ASUN Conference in 2022. The Lions have had four straight losing seasons, but hired new head coach Brent Dearmon in December.

“As a member of the Board who voted to accept the ASUN Conference invitation and move to Division I athletics, it is certainly a milestone for us to be announcing this project,” said Will Trapp, President Pro Tempore of the UNA Board of Trustees. “In many ways, our step up into this higher level of competition was a leap of faith. We held a collective belief that it would be beneficial to the University and the community, but we all knew at some point there would need to be greater investment in facilities if we were going to build on this move.”

North Alabama opens the 2023 season Aug. 26 vs. Mercer in the FCS Kickoff Game at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. The Lions’ first home game is set for Sept. 2 vs. Chattanooga.