Favorable Bids Cause Cost Decrease for Alabama Basketball's New Practice Facility

The practice facility being built next to Coleman Coliseum will cost less than expected.

Proposed Alabama basketball practice facility / Alabama Athletics

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne has often cited rising costs as a contributing factor in the delayed building of a new basketball arena, but there was some good news in that area as the University of Alabama physical properties committee got "very favorable bids" on the new practice facility.

Mike Rodgers, the assistant vice chancellor for construction management, presented the latest information on the construction of the practice facility during Thursday's Board of Trustees meeting. The budget for the project dropped from over $59 million to $54.6 million.

Coleman Coliseum training facility expansion budget / University of Alabama Board of Trustees

The physical properties committee approved the updated budget, and the entire Board of Trustees will officially approve the project during Friday's meeting.

The facility has already begun construction in the parking lot adjacent to Coleman Coliseum and will be utilized by both the men's and women's basketball teams at Alabama according to Rodgers.

Building a new practice facility was a priority for Byrne and Alabama men's head coach Nate Oats.

The project is part of Phase II of the Crimson Standard initiative by the Alabama Athletic department, and over $20 million of funding will come from Crimson Standard cash with the rest coming from university central reserves and general reserve bonds.

The Crimson Standard was first launched in 2018 with the first phase being completed in 2020 with renovations to Bryant-Denny Stadium. Phase II was announced in 2022 with the new basketball competition arena being the main attraction; however, plans have stalled because of construcion costs.

Alabama turned its focus to the training and player development facility for Oats, who is coming off a second straight trip to the Elite Eight after securing the program's first Final Four appearance in 2024.

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