The Crimson Column presented by Mercedes-Benz
10/26/2017 11:27:00 AM | General
Tide Tipoff Welcomes in Basketball Season
We officially welcomed in basketball season Tuesday night with the third annual Supe Store Tide Tipoff in front of nearly 7,000 Crimson Tide fans. I'll echo Coach Avery Johnson's statement in that it was a great celebration of community, supporting both of our men's and women's teams as they strive to achieve many of the same goals, including a trip back to the NCAA tournament. There is a lot of excitement around basketball this season, which has led to a record number of season ticket sales for men's basketball. We hope you will join us in Coleman Coliseum to help make it one of the best home-court atmospheres in the country for both of our teams.
Limited Number of Football Tickets Available for LSU and Mercer Games
In case you missed it, we have a limited number of tickets available for sale for the upcoming game against LSU, which were sent back from their allotment, as well as for the final home game of the season against Mercer where we will recognize our senior class. Tickets can be purchased online on our ticket page or by calling the ticket office at 205-348-BAMA (2262) or 1-877-TIDETIX (843-3849).
Bryant Society Induction
As the Athletics Department at The University of Alabama is self-sustaining, all private gifts contribute directly to the needs of our student-athletes, coaches and staff. Private support enables UA Athletics to increase its standing, in both athletics and academics, over competing universities. The Lifetime Giving Society was created to recognize the generosity, loyalty and pride displayed by donors to the Athletics Department. The Crimson Tide Foundation (@UACTF) recognizes the lifetime contributions of donors by placing them into one of four levels within the Society. The pinnacle of this organization is the Bryant Society, distinguishing individuals and organizations who have made contributions of at least $1 million.
Last Thursday, four new members were honored at the third Bryant Society Induction Ceremony and Dinner to show our appreciation for their generosity and commitment. We were fortunate to have Ozzie Newsome in town for the festivities as well and thank him for making the trip to Tuscaloosa. On Saturday, just prior to the game against Tennessee, I, along with President Bell, had the privilege of presenting each of the 2017 Inductees with custom-designed championship-style rings.
Philanthropic support is the margin of excellence that will allow Alabama Athletics to sustain our growth and success into the future. We are deeply grateful for the level of generosity displayed by the 30 Bryant Society members and each of the loyal supporters of the CTF and Alabama Athletics.
Postseason Competition Around the Corner
Hard to believe, but we already have two teams that are about to embark on postseason play. Our men's and women's cross country teams head to Athens, Georgia, for the SEC championships on Friday, while our soccer team will head to Orange Beach this weekend for its SEC tournament after the regular-season finale at Ole Miss on Thursday. If you're in either area, I encourage you to head out and cheer on the Tide as I know our coaches and student-athletes would love the support!
Rowing Captures First Gold Medal, Sets Course Record at Head of the Charles
Congratulations to our rowing team for a stellar showing at the Head of the Charles Regatta last weekend in Boston. We had two top-10 finishes, and our top 4+ crew earned a gold medal, which was the program's first at the Head of the Charles, and set the course record in the 4+. Hats off to Coach Larry Davis, our student-athletes and staff for the outstanding performances!
Baseball, Softball and Gymnastics Schedules Revealed
Time to get out those calendars as our baseball, softball and gymnastics teams have recently released their entire schedules for the 2018 season. Gymnastics gets underway on Friday, January 5, in Ann Arbor against Michigan before returning to Tuscaloosa the next week to host Georgia in the home opener on Friday, January 12. Baseball ushers in its new season with a series against Valparaiso February 16-18, while softball plays in several tournaments on the road before hosting the Easton Bama Bash February 23-25.
Student-Athlete Enhancement's Efforts Rolls On
After hosting our very successful annual job fair in late September, our D.R.I.V.E. for Success program (@TideDRIVE) followed up with a Graduate School Preparation workshop in mid-October for our student-athletes who see further education as the next step in their lives. Both events are part of our comprehensive approach to preparing this current generation for life after college athletics.
Our Life Skills program (@BAMALifeSkills), in conjunction with our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (@UA_SAAC), has been busy preparing for our annual Halloween Extravaganza, a community outreach event that traditionally brings in large crowds to the Hank Crisp Indoor facility to meet and interact with our student-athletes. If you're in the Tuscaloosa area, we hope you'll join us for this year's event on Monday, October 30. The fun will get underway at 6:30 p.m. CT and there will be plenty of great activities hosted by our student-athletes.
University Spotlight
Did you know Tuscaloosa is the first city in the state of Alabama to install technology that will collect data used to help decrease travel time and crashes on the road and even lay the groundwork for self-driving vehicles? The project, which is being led by The University of Alabama along with the Alabama Department of Transportation, involves the installation of radios in traffic signals around town that will communicate information back to the faculty, staff and students. Neat stuff!
#RollTideFriday
We continue to see some great photos from around the country, and even the world, for #RollTideFriday. This week, we are featuring Ken and Beth McCullough, who brought their Alabama gear all the way to Greece, and Lilymae Grace Mann from Robertsdale, Alabama, who is game-day ready in her cheerleading uniform and football. Great pics!
Ken and Beth McCullough
Lilymae Grace Mann
Remember to use the hashtag #RollTideFriday in your social posts and tweet your photos to me at @Greg_Byrne. We will select two photos to feature in each blog and add even more to our #RollTideFriday Fan Hub.
Upcoming Schedule of Events
View the list of upcoming events, broadcast information, start times and stat links on our composite calendar. (Note: All times are listed in Central Time.)
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