Board approves new training facility for Alabama basketball program

The Alabama men’s basketball team is officially getting a new practice gym.

The UA System Board of Trustees met on Friday morning and voted to approve the proposed training and player development facility expansion and renovation project in Tuscaloosa.

The project includes an approximately 48,800-square-foot expansion in the southeast corner of Coleman Coliseum and a renovation of 19,000 square feet of existing space in Coleman, which is currently home to the men’s team. It will entail constructing a new training and player development facility to include the following for both programs:

– New sports medicine spaces
– Film and team meeting rooms
– Locker rooms
– Lounges
– Coaching staff areas
– New practice facility and weight room for the men’s team

The current men’s basketball practice facility located at Coleman Coliseum will be renovated to provide a dedicated, enhanced space for the Crimson Tide’s women’s basketball program.

“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,” said Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne on Thursday. “Each team will have a dedicated practice gym and weight room space, which is where our programs spend the majority of their time. Meaning this project will have an incredible impact on both of our basketball programs.

“Coach (Nate) Oats and Coach (Kristy) Curry are extremely supportive of this plan as a positive and valuable next step for their respective teams, and 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.”

The project is projected to cost $58,674,625. Funding for the project includes new bond funding (36,949,625) and UA reserves and gifts ($21,725,000). The preferred architect is Davis Architects, Inc., out of Birmingham, Alabama. Populus Group was a consultant service in their contract, a national sports arena design firm with a history in this arena.

Ground is expected to be broken this fall with hopes that both teams will be able to use the new spaces during the 2026 college basketball season, Byrne said Thursday. Coleman Coliseum will still be able to operate under normal activities outside of the construction area.

“As a program, we spend a majority of our time in the practice gym, the weight room and studying film, so the potential for us to have a new and expanded space for our student-athletes to develop is big for our program,” said Alabama coach Nate Oats in a statement. 

“We have tremendous support from our administration, which has played a role in our success, and I want to thank the Board of Trustees, Interim Chancellor Trant and President Bell as well as Greg Byrne and Shane Lyons for bringing this forward. I’d also like to thank our donors and fans for all they do for us.”

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