Bank Independent Stadium is the culmination of a vision – a vision that began almost 50 years ago when the University of North Alabama leadership believed in the institution, its students, its faculty, its staff, and, perhaps most importantly, its community. Today, the stage is set for that vision to come to life with the transformative nature of the on-campus Bank Independent Stadium.

The project is expected to be complete in full for the 2026-27 athletic season. Bank Independent Stadium will be the home of UNA’s football, soccer and baseball programs and is located off Pine Street adjacent to CB&S Bank Arena. The multi-purpose venue will also be available for various concert and major events in the Shoals community.

Bank Independent Stadium represents the first on-campus facility for the UNA football team, who played at Braly Stadium from 1949 to 2025.

Within Bank Independent Stadium are two major facilities — Mike D. Lane Field and Bobby Wallace Field. The naming rights were announced on November 27, 2024.

The University of North Alabama Foundation has committed to naming the baseball field in honor of Mike D. Lane, UNA's head baseball coach who saw the team achieve 25 straight winning seasons from his hire in 1984 until his retirement in 2008. The original Mike D. Lane Field, which was housed at the same location as the new stadium, hosted its first NCAA baseball event in 1989 and was named after the legendary coach in 2008.

The Florence-Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau has named the football and soccer stadium at Bank Independent Stadium Bobby Wallace Field to honor of the Lions' legendary head football coach who saw the team through three Division II National Championships in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

TIMELINE

June 9, 2023 — The UNA Board of Trustees accepted and approved the vision for an on-campus stadium named, in perpetuity, Bank Independent Stadium.

December 15, 2023 — Birmingham-based program management firm HPM was selected by UNA to serve as the program manager for Bank Independent Stadium.

June 4, 2024 — UNA officially broke ground on Bank Independent Stadium when members of the UNA Board of Trustees, campus administration and Bank Independent representatives met at the future site for a formal ceremony.

April 17, 2025 —UNA’s baseball team hosted the first game in stadium history, playing Bellarmine on a Thursday afternoon. While UNA did not win this game, the Lions won the next two on Friday and Saturday to take the first series in stadium history. The stadium, while incomplete with limited amenities, was deemed playable for 11 games in 2025 while construction paused for each game day. Hundreds of spectators gathered above the left field wall in the College View Church of Christ parking lot to watch the games.

February 13, 2026 — Phase One of the Bank Independent Stadium officially completed with the grand opening of Mike D. Lane Field. North Alabama hosted SIUE for a three-game baseball series with a reported attendance of over 3,000 fans for the first three games in stadium history. UNA won the series with wins in the first two games. Prior to the Saturday game, representatives from UNA and Bank Independent joined Coach Mike D. Lane on the field for the official ribbon cutting. The attendance for that game was 1,750.

May 16, 2026 — UNA Baseball finished its first full regular season in the newly constructed stadium with a 19-11 record in conference play to win a share of the Atlantic Sun Conference Gold Division Championship. This was the first division or regular season championship for the program since 2005.

For more information on Bank Independent Stadium, visit unabankindependentstadium.com.