Greg Byrne Provides Update on Alabama's New Arena

There are "ongoing conversations" about when the project will get off the ground, partly due to record inflation numbers.

Crimson Tide basketball fans were thrilled with the announcement of a new arena on the Alabama campus earlier in 2022. The new arena was part of Phase II of the Crimson Standard Initiative, but since the announcement in February, there hasn't been much news from the athletic department on the project. 

Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne spoke on the Hey Coach! radio show Thursday night, and provided an update on where things stand in the process. He said it's been an ongoing conversation with the architects to try and get the project off the ground. 

"Obviously some things have changed since, I think it was March of last year when we introduced it," Byrne said. "We weren't expecting the highest inflation in 40 years but that's reality. So we've continued to go back to the drawing board and say, 'What does that mean? What are the impacts that are going to be on there?’"

The arena would not just be used for men's basketball, but also women's basketball and the Crimson Tide's storied gymnastics program, now under the direction of new head coach Ashley Johnston. Byrne acknowledged that all three programs are heading in a positive direction and the importance of continuing with the project because of that and the age of the current facilities at Coleman Coliseum.

"We know it's important for our program, and there's a lot of excitement for it and the progress that Nate's made with the with the men's basketball program," Byrne said. "We're gonna have a good women's basketball program this year, and obviously we're really excited to have Ashley come back to coach the gymnastics team. 

"Obviously having a facility for that's going to be really important. Coleman’s 50 plus years old. There’s a lot of things we have to address with that. And those those things aren't going away anytime soon."

There is still no official timetable for the project, but initial reports suggested that construction bids would begin in April 2023.