Sports Illustrated Resorts are coming to the US, starting in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Travel + Leisure has partnered with Sports Illustrated to introduce future sports-themed resorts and lifestyle complexes in popular college towns, after acquiring the rights to the vacation ownership business of Sports Hospitality Ventures, LLC.
The Sports Illustrated Resort plans to open the first of its kind in Tuscaloosa across the Black Warrior River from the University of Alabama by the end of 2025. The venture opened its first property last year in Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic, with activities including golf, scuba diving, sportfishing, biking, hiking and water sports.
The Tuscaloosa location is expected to feature a full-service hotel, vacation ownership club, residential condos, wellness center, dining, and entertainment options. Tuscaloosa was chosen as the site of the first-ever resort of its kind due to its recognition by Travel + Leisure as one of the top 25 best college towns in the United States.
This unique resort theme will provide Tuscaloosa guests access to almost 70 years of Sports Illustrated content, as stated in the press release.
Additional college town destinations are expected to be announced in the near future as work begins on the planned Tuscaloosa resort campus.
25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. https://t.co/ayhkGp1j1H
— Travel + Leisure (@TravelLeisure) September 19, 2023
What to know about Travel + Leisure Co. and Sports Illustrated
Travel + Leisure Co. is a membership-based travel company that provides tailored vacations at timeshare resorts worldwide, delivering millions of vacations annually.
Sports Illustrated still produces a monthly print magazine and provides digital content on the SI.com website. The brand has also branched out into lifestyle, entertainment, and original products.
Travel + Leisure's top 25 college towns
Boston
Lynchburg, Virginia
Madison, Wisconsin
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Columbia, Missouri
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tempe, Arizona
Iowa City, Iowa
Gainesville, Florida
Athens, Georgia
Lawrence, Kansas
Boulder, Colorad
Providence, Rhode Island
Tallahassee, Florida
Berkeley, California
Provo, Utah
Eugene, Oregon
Oxford, Mississippi
Syracuse, New York
Austin, Texas
Lincoln, Nebraska
Burlington, Vermont
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Hartford, Connecticut
Ithaca, New York
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sports Illustrated Resorts first US location is in Tuscaloosa, Alabama