TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) – Alabama Athletics announced a proposal Thursday for an expanded and renovated basketball training and player development facility.
“The Coleman Coliseum Basketball Training & Player Development Facility Expansion and Renovation will have an incredible impact on our basketball programs. We are extremely appreciative of the Board of Trustees, Interim Chancellor Trant and President Bell for consideration and are grateful to our donors who have supported this project. This facility is where our basketball programs will spend the majority of their time, and the project will address immediate, high-priority needs for both teams by creating an optimal space for practice and development,” stated Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Bryne.
The project will consist of a 48,000 square foot expansion on the southeast corner of Coleman Coliseum while renovating approximately 19,000 square feet of existing team space. Within that space, the men’s and women’s basketball programs will have their own practice facilities and weight rooms along with player development areas that includes locker rooms, lounges, film rooms, sports medicine spaces, equipment room, and offices.
In a board of trustees meeting Thursday, Bryne said that the new space will be used by the men’s basketball program and that the existing 19,000 square feet to be renovated will be used by the women’s program.
“The expansion and renovation of the existing footprint will provide the optimal space for our men’s and women’s programs to train and develop. Each team will have a dedicated practice gym and weight room space, which is where our programs spend a majority of their time.
However, Bryne said that this plan does not include work on any deferred maintenance that is needed on Coleman Coliseum.
“The current practice gym that the men use, we will be updating that for the women. Then, we will be expanding out beyond there (where the current practice gym is). That is almost a separate building from Coleman Coliseum, so this doesn’t really address the deferred maintenance issues that we still have with Coleman, but it does address the day-to-day work environment for our men’s and women’s basketball programs to develop to the best of their abilities.”
In the meeting, Bryne stated that the plan is to break ground on the project this fall with the hopes of the facility to be in full-use sometime during the 26′ calendar year. Bryne also says that this project will not impact the day-to-day operations of Coleman Coliseum currently.
“It’s two separate buildings, so from a day-to-day operation standpoint, Coleman will be able to still stay under normal activities outside of the area where the construction is outside.”
Bryne also both Crimson Tide men’s head coach Nate Oats and women’s head coach Kristy Curry are in support of the new plan.
“Coach Oats and Coach Curry are extremely supportive of this plan as a positive and valuable next steps for their respective teams, and they both express this is the highest priority at this time and the facility will meet an immediate need as we continue to work towards long-term priorities for our basketball programs.”
You can find quotes from both Coach Oats and Curry below.
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