Alabama athletic director announces plans for future of basketball arena

A new basketball arena could be on the horizon for Alabama.

Greg Byrne told the Alabama Board of Trustees on Thursday he has a plan to build a new basketball arena. He proposed a facility that seats approximately 10,136 people, according to AL.com’s Michael Casagrande.

“We went and studied some other arenas,” Byrne said, via the Tuscaloosa News’ Nick Kelly. “We would recommend potentially constructing a new arena.”

Byrne confirmed officials visited five arenas as part of the process — Ole Miss’ Pavilion, Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena, Illinois‘ State Farm Center, James Madison’s Atlantic Union Bank Center and DePaul’s Wintrust Arena. The new arena would likely cost $183 million and paid for by gifts, cash from the Crimson Standard and UA bonds the athletic department would re-pay, according to AL.com’s Mike Rodak.

More on Alabama’s plans for a new arena

Byrne also said the student section would wrap around three-quarters of the court. In addition, the 2,200 students in attendance would be closer to the court than they are now at Coleman. Officials are considering multiple sites for the new arena, including a parking lot next to Coleman Coliseum and a band practice field on University Boulevard, among others, according to Casagrande.

Coleman Coliseum was built in 1968 and holds 15,383 fans. It was renovated in 2005, but Byrne is pushing for a new arena instead of doing that again 17 years later.

Alabama is 14-8 overall and 4-5 in SEC play so far this year. The Crimson Tide sure like playing at Coleman, though, boasting a 10-1 record at their home arena this year. Their lone home loss came Jan. 11 against No. 1 Auburn, 81-77.

After its latest loss to Auburn earlier this week, Alabama will return home to Coleman this weekend for a key SEC matchup with No. 5 Kentucky. That game tips off Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.