All Things CW: 5 Things You Should Know About Alabama's Basketball Arena Proposal
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Although Greg Byrne only revealed the plans for a new basketball arena on Thursday, the Alabama athletics director has been selling the idea for years as part of the Crimson Standard initiative that kicked off in 2018.
Of course the original idea for Phase II was to do a massive renovation of Coleman Coliseum, which would bring the seats in closer and make the whole massive facility feel less cavernous.
But when cost estimates began to close in on $150 million, and there was still no guarantee that it would create the intimate feel that can result in a big-time home-court advantage, the renovation idea was dropped.
Plus the basketball team suddenly got a lot better under Nate Oats.
Byrne begin really pitching the idea of a new arena to prominent boosters a while ago, and they responded. That's how we got to this point, because without their backing he couldn't make the proposal to the Board of Trustees.
That he was able to do so this quickly, especially considering the ongoing pandemic and huge financial hit Alabama athletics took last year, is nothing short of impressive. A nice bonus would be that the basketball team wouldn't have to play a year on the road or away from campus like baseball did during the Sewell-Thomas rebuild.
If all goes right, construction on the new basketball and gymnastics facility could start in 2023.
The site that appears to make the most sense is near the softball stadium on the northeast corner of Campus Drive and Peter Bryce Boulevard.
Here are five things that fans need to be aware of:
1) Developing more athletic facilities in that part of campus has pretty much always been in the university's long-term plans.
Some of the 50-year designs developed a long time ago even included a possible new football stadium on the northeast part of campus had the decision ever been made to start anew.
2) There's actually more parking spots in that part of campus than at Coleman Coliseum.
Parking deck? Not needed.
3) Fans would have even easier access to McFarland Boulevard.
The exit and entrance ramps to Campus Drive already exist. They'd just have to be modified to handle more traffic.
4) It will be a very different atmosphere, with fans, and especially students, much closer to the floor.
The location issue of student seating will finally be resolved by having the section include both ends beyond the goals and one entire side of the lower bowl, so three-quarters around the court.
5) Coleman Coliseum can become the full-time home to Nick Saban's Noontime Basketball Association.
Ok, seriously, the final point is this: Once the basketball facility becomes reality, Byrne can move on to Phase III of the Crimson Standard. Like Phase I, which cost just under $110 million, it'll focus on Bryant-Denny Stadium, and providing the kind of upgrades that may be unmatched in college football.
Remember, the original goal of the capital initiative was 10 years, $600 million, which gives you an idea of how elaborate Phase III might be. In these parts it's a whole lot easier raising money for football facility improvements than basketball.
NSD Showed Why Football is Stuck in the Mud
It used to be about the players.
About celebrating their accomplishments, the futures and the success of the high school coaches and programs that helped them develop.
Signing Day ceremonies were the rave of National Signing Day, and also a lot of fun, with things like players pulling out hats from under tables, including their family members in revealing their college destinations, and enjoying their day.
Those things still happen, but nothing like before.
Alabama's press conference on Wednesday was a perfect example of how it's changed. The Crimson Tide signed exactly one player.
Nick Saban was asked more about NIL, coaching changes and the transfer portal than he was about his recruiting Class of 2022. There were questions asked about turnover and college football issues then about the players.
Congratulations, college football is officially broken, and this just the latest example.
This year's final recruiting rankings, including the SI99, have been very telling, and not just because the usual suspects like Saban, and three of his former assistant coaches, Fisher, Steve Sarkisian and Kirby Smart, dominated the top five.
Take a look at the number of signings most of the other top programs had.
Ohio State 21. Clemson 20. Notre Dame 21. Oklahoma 21. Michigan 22.
Teams aren't maxing out on prospects. They're holding back to have open spots to add players later through the transfer portal.
This stinks for two reasons.
1) Fewer scholarships going out means fewer opportunities.
2) It's bad for the smaller programs. They invest the time, energy and money into players who will only get poached a year or two down the line.
It's like the wheels of a car spinning in the Alabama mud, they can't get any traction.
It also means fewer NIL opportunities for the players, never mind the possibility of what might happen if they suffer a major injury while at the smaller school, trying to earn their way to a bigger one.
College football is at its best when providing more opportunities, not fewer.
Alabama on National Signing Day
The Press Conference
The Transfers
Adam Hagy, USAToday photos
The Coaching Moves
Alabama Athletics
The Rumors
Alabama Athletics
... And, Oh Yeah, the Commitment
Photo | SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Class of 2022
Photo | Elijah Pritchett's Instagram, pritchett._
5 Things That Got Our Attention This Week
1. Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico reported that Fanatics and OneTeam Partners have reached an agreement that “could lead to jerseys bearing the name and number of college stars becoming available for sale in school shops across the country,” reports, noting that the partnership will start with customizable Nike, Adidas and Under Armour football jerseys beginning with the 2022 season. Fanatics will pay player royalties to OneTeam, which takes a commission on the total amount generated by the jersey program. Student-athletes are paid based on a percentage of sales for uniforms bearing their specific name and number.
2. The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals said it will hear the NCAA's appeal (along with all the schools) of the Trey Johnson case involving whether college athletes are school employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
3. While Alabama is gearing up to build a new arena, everyone's favorite LSU coach Will Wade told reporters that there's a major men's basketball program already spending $5 million on NIL, and even though LSU needs a major facilities upgrade the NIL is a bigger priority. “That’s how important this is going to be,” he said. Meanwhile, the NCAA investigation into possible recruiting violations by LSU under Wade continues.
4. INFLCR, which is based in Birmingham, announced that at 28.7 percent, football players had signed the highest percentage of their deals during the first six months of NIL. That's not surprising. Track being second at 10 percent was, followed by men's basketball (7.7), volleyball (6.8) and women’s soccer (6). Social media accounted for the majority of deals at 66 percent, with affiliate deals the next highest category at 10.8 percent.
5. In case you missed it, Jimbo Fisher went off on rumors that Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher's top-rated class (after Alabama won nine of the previous 11 recruiting titles and the other two by Georgia) was due to sponsorship money associated with NIL.
“Players and your team, they do get those things.. We were one of the lower ones. I mean if I remember right it was Nick [Saban] who brought it up that his quarterback got a million-dollar deal. And that was great. Ohio State put out an article that they have the highest NIL deals of anybody in the country, which is legal, it's all legal, it's fine!” Fisher said.
“But that had nothing to do with this class or anything else... this was hard work by our staff. It's insulting to the kids who come here, that you insinuate that. And that people insinuate that, off of things taken off a message board, Bro Bible, by a guy named ‘Sliced Bread‘ whoever the heck that is, who has no clue about what goes on. But NIL is here to stay in college football, it's going to be a factor in college football, there is no doubt. ... But those reports and the things that people say are very irresponsible...and people need to figure out the truth before they do it.”
Fisher seemed to be especially upset with a comment made by Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin:
“We don’t have the funding resources as some schools with the NIL deals," Kiffin said. "It’s like dealing with salary caps. I joked I didn’t know if Texas A&M incurred a luxury tax with how much they paid for their signing class."
Fisher responded: "To have coaches in our league say it? Clown acts," Fisher said. "Irresponsible as hell. Multiple coaches in our league, the guys griping about NIL and transfer portal, are using it the most. That’s the ironic part. It does piss me off.”
Ole Miss visits Texas A&M on Oct. 29.
All Things CW appears every week on BamaCentral.
