Postcard from Tuscaloosa: Alabama's New Sports Science Center

So this was going to be a note about standing in front of Coleman Coliseum, where in a couple of days graduation ceremonies were slated to be held, and instead it's eerily quiet.

The only sound you hear is from the ropes on the flagpole, as it was a windy day.

It made for a good postcard ... only then I saw Alabama's new science center and it immediately stole my attention.

This isn't just Nick Saban having a new toy, Alabama is aiming for this to be a game-changer in terms of facilities and recruiting, never mind the overall health and well-being of its athletes.

You may remember a story we had on BamaCentral last fall about how Saban was ahead of the curve in the growing field of mental health. This could potentially do the same in physical performance.

Losing strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran was a blow to the football program, but Saban and Alabama turned his loss into an unforeseen advantage by finding maybe the two best people in the nation to head up efforts in this new wing.

David Ballou is the Crimson Tide’s new Director of Sports Performance, with Dr. Matt Rhea the Director of Performance Science. They were considered the next big thing at their previous spot, Indiana.

The Hoosier don't have anything like this, though.

I looked it up: "The sports science center, which will open this summer, will be a comprehensive facility that will feature assessment areas for all athletes, physical-evaluation areas, a behavioral health center, two athlete-recovery rooms that feature 15 specialized recovery chairs, three float beds and a multi-person, whole-body cryo chamber."

All I know is it looks impressive.

No one's ready to move in yet, but that game-changer description might turn out to be an accurate description.

I think the graduates would have been distracted as well.

- Christopher Walsh

P.S. Good luck and congratulations Class of 2020!