The Sports Illustrated college town resort ecosystem has eyes on expanding, this time in Big Ten country.
Last week, Sports Illustrated Resorts, Travel + Leisure Co. and Sports Hospitality Ventures, LLC announced the first of its new line of college town resorts would be built in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The property, which will include a full-service hotel, condominiums, vacation ownership club, signature SI Fit Health/Wellness Center, restaurants and entertainment, is slated to open in late 2025.
Next up on the list of iconic college towns currently in negotiations to receive one of the resorts? Ann Arbor, Mich.
Chris Schroeder, CEO of Sports Illustrated Resorts said in a statement Wednesday that the company is in “serious discussions” with Ann Arbor officials and the University of Michigan to “evaluate a potential opportunity” in the hometown of the Wolverines.
“Ann Arbor has become a great destination for locals, visitors and conference attendees that increase hotel stays and improve economic vitality to retailers and restaurants,” Schroeder said in the statement. “Sports Illustrated Resorts would be an added attraction that would help drive more visitation, plus we would be focused on including a significant conference facility that would allow Ann Arbor to compete with other cities that have more conference capabilities. This we believe would provide a very positive direct and indirect economic impact to the city and we are commissioning an analysis collaboratively with Destination Ann Arbor to collect additional data on such an impact, and once completed we will provide further details.”
Sports Illustrated Resorts opened its first property in 2022 in Capa Cana, Dominican Republic. Another location is set to open in Orlando in 2024.
