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Hoover, Ala. has hosted the SEC Baseball Tournament for the last 18 years, and on Friday league commissioner Greg Sankey announced that the Birmingham suburb will retain its hosting privileges for at least the 2017 tournament. Hoover's five-year contract for hosting rites expired at the end of the 2016 season, and five prospective cities had submitted bids to become the new host site.
A number of reporters confirmed the news on Twitter just before Sankey's presser in Destin, Fla. According to Josh Kendall at The State, the vote to keep the tournament in Hoover was unanimous, passing 14-0.
Back in February, it was reported that at least 10 prospective host cities had received tournament bidding information, among them Memphis, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Nashville, but it seems the committee refused to buck tradition. Hoover Metropolitan Stadium has a capacity of 10,800. The length of Hoover's renewed contract has yet to be determined, and it seems that the committee has a view to the future by keeping the tournament in Hoover.
Sankey referenced the future sports facility as a big reason for it staying in Hoover. 6 practice fields to be built adjacent to the Met.
— Kyle Parmley (@KyleParmley) June 3, 2016
Sorry, folks.