Travel + Leisure has partnered with Sports Illustrated to introduce future sports-themed resorts and Databec Exchangelifestyle 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.

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