The University of Alabama announced Thursday that the athletic department will expand Coleman Coliseum’s practice facility. The expansion will begin in the fall and will be functional in 2026. This comes after the men’s basketball program made its first ever Final Four appearance this past season.
The goal of the renovations is to expand player development and training by adding state-of-the-art facilities and amenities to a new extension of the building as well as inside the coliseum itself.
The renovations are expected to cost about $59 million, according to Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne.
The majority of the funds for the project will be allocated from future general revenue bonds, while most of the remainder comes from the Crimson Standard Cash fund. A small portion of money will also come out of the University’s central reserves.
Byrne said that the renovations will benefit not only the men’s team, but the women’s program as well.
“The expansion and renovation of the existing footprint in the southeast corner of Coleman Coliseum … will provide the optimal space for both our men’s and women’s basketball programs to train and develop,” Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne told the UA System board of trustees at its Thursday meeting.
The plan includes new sports medicine spaces, film rooms, team meeting rooms, locker rooms, lounges and a new weight room for the men’s team. These new amenities are expected to take up a 49,000-square-foot building attached to the arena as well as 19,000 square feet inside the arena.
“Each team will have a dedicated practice gym and weight room space, which is where our programs spend the majority of their time,” Byrne said.
Byrne said that men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats and women’s basketball head coach Kristy Curry fully support the renovations.
“Coach Oats and Coach Curry are extremely supportive of this plan as a positive and valuable next step for their respective teams,” Byrne said. “They’ve both expressed 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.”
