FLORENCE – The University of North Alabama baseball and football fields at Bank Independent Stadium now have names – and they will be familiar to Lion fans everywhere.
The Florence-Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau has named the football field Bobby Wallace Field in honor of the Lions’ legendary head football coach who led the team to three Division II National Championships in 1993, 1994, and 1995.
The University of North Alabama Foundation has committed to naming the baseball field in honor of Mike Lane, UNA’s head baseball coach who led his teams to 25 straight winning seasons from 1984 until 2008.
A special ceremony that will officially unveil the plans for both fields is set for Feb. 1 and will be an opportunity for the coaches, former players, student-athletes, and others to celebrate these significant namings.
“Our organization values the relationship between the City of Florence and the University of North Alabama,” said Rob Carnegie, president and CEO of the Florence-Lauderdale CVB. “Our organization has a broad footprint, much like UNA’s, and our desire with this gift is to make an impact across the area. We feel this is a great opportunity to do that. Further, we see this as something that will only drive millions of visitors here for years to come.”
Wallace said he is deeply honored by the gift and the recognition for him, the program, and the hundreds of student-athletes he coached.
“I would like to thank (UNA President) Dr. (Ken) Kitts, (UNA Director of Athletics) Dr. (Josh) Looney, Kevin Haslam, the Florence-Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, and anyone else that contributed to making this happen,” he said. “It means so much to me and my family. I pray every coach, player, manager, and trainer that was at UNA during those years feels a part of this.
“I also want to thank all the great fans that supported us. It was a special time.”
Both namings are for the useful life of Bank Independent Stadium on the UNA campus.
“I thank the good Lord for letting this old ball coach have this privilege,” Lane said. “It is something we can all take pride in, and, from what I have seen, it will be a great place for people to watch the game. From the standpoint of the players, it is an upgrade to what we had. A field is very unique and very important to players.”
Wallace and Lane were at UNA at the same time, achieving renown in their respective sports.
Lane coached UNA baseball for 25 seasons, from 1983 to 2008, posting 25 straight winning seasons, a 908-398-12 record, five Gulf South Conference championships, 10 NCAA regionals, and one World Series.
Meanwhile, Wallace arrived on campus in 1988 and led the team to three straight Division II national titles in 1993, 1994, and 1995. Those three championships also made UNA the first school in the history of NCAA scholarship football to win three straight national titles.
After stints at Temple and West Alabama, Wallace returned to UNA from 2012-16, leading UNA to a 44-15 record and a berth in the 2016 Division II National Championship Game.
UNA Director of Athletics Looney worked alongside UNA’s Vice President for Advancement Kevin Haslam to secure both opportunities.
“Honoring our past while building our future is a priority with Bank Independent Stadium, and there is no better way to honor the legacies of great UNA teams, athletes, and moments than by placing the names of these two incredible leaders on the new field surfaces,” said Looney. “We’re incredibly grateful to the Florence-Lauderdale CVB for their partnership in Bank Independent Stadium and future events that will positively impact The Shoals.
“It’s certainly fitting that Coach Wallace and Coach Lane will be a visible part of the growth in our community for years to come.”
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