Crimson Column presented by Mercedes-Benz
12/7/2017 5:05:00 PM | General
Sugar Bowl Bound
Congratulations to our football student-athletes, Coach Saban and his staff on its fourth straight trip to the College Football Playoff! I'm sure I'm not the only one who heard the collective cheers throughout Alabama on Sunday once the announcement was made. We are so proud of this team's accomplishments and look forward to playing Clemson in the CFP Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 1. We also look forward to seeing our incredible fan base show their presence in New Orleans.
Holiday Hoops
There are several upcoming opportunities for fans to cheer on our men's and women's basketball teams throughout the month of December in Tuscaloosa and in other cities in Alabama. Our men's team will take part in the Rocket City Classic on Tuesday, December 19 in Huntsville against Mercer and will then travel to Birmingham to face Texas in the Vulcan Classic on Friday, December 22. The next week, Southeastern Conference play begins on Saturday, December 30 in Tuscaloosa against Texas A&M. On the women's side, we have four games coming up at Coleman Coliseum before breaking for the holidays including, Sunday, December 10 against Grambling State, Sunday, December 17 versus SMU, Tuesday, December 19 against Missouri State and Wednesday, December 20 versus Murray State. Non-conference play wraps up on Thursday, December 28 in Tuscaloosa against Florida A&M before the Tide welcomes in Missouri for the SEC opener on Sunday, December 31. In addition to the action on the court, we've got lots of promotions and events going on, so be sure to stay up-to-date by visiting RollTide.com and following us on social media.
Gymnastic Holds Crimson & White Preview Friday Night
On Friday night, starting at 7 p.m., head coach Dana Duckworth will introduce our 2018 gymnastics team at the Crimson & White Preview. The event is free and is a great chance to get a sneak peek of this year's team and some of the awesome routines you'll get to see during our six regular-season home meets this season. The doors open at 6 p.m. and there will be great giveaways and prizes throughout the night!
Student-Athlete Enhancement Brings Holiday Joy
Our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (@UA_SAAC) and Life Skills (@BamaLifeSkills) program combined with each of our teams to provide some holiday joy for more than 35 children from the Birmingham area. Working in conjunction with Project Angel Tree, Crimson Tide student-athletes donated money, shopped for and wrapped presents for those children. When all the gifts were wrapped, members of SAAC welcomed three-dozen children to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the Project Angel Tree Pick-up Party, which included a great meal, games, some arts and crafts and a stadium tour, as well as a visit from Santa. At the end of the night, the kids took home their gifts and our student-athletes took away the warm memories of helping make the holiday season a little brighter for those kids. What a great way to start out this year's holiday season.
Changes on TIDE PRIDE Renewal Form
TIDE PRIDE members will notice a change on this year's renewal form. If you have seats in multiple TIDE PRIDE clubs, you will see the renewal information for each club summarized on one sheet instead of a separate form for each club. Additionally, you will see an opportunity to contribute to the Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund (CTSF). I want to make sure everyone understands the importance of including a gift to the CTSF with your TIDE PRIDE renewal. Did you know that Alabama Athletics spends over $16.5 million each year on scholarships for our student-athletes? We are grateful each of our scholarship endowments and the future stability they provide, however, there is still a significant need for annual scholarship support. The goal of the Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund (CTSF) is to provide funding for our scholarships, and we need your help! Participation is vital to the success of the CTSF and each year we depend on generous Alabama supporters to help provide scholarships for deserving student-athletes.
We hope you will make a contribution to the Crimson Tide Foundation part of your annual gift to TIDE PRIDE, just as Regina and I have done. We appreciate your support of Alabama Athletics, TIDE PRIDE and the Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund. And remember, you don't have to be a member of TIDE PRIDE to make a difference for the Crimson Tide and contribute to the CTSF. You can also visit crimsontidefoundation.org to make your gift. TIDE PRIDE members will receive three Tide Totals Priority Points for every $100 contributed. Make your gift before December 31 to receive your tax receipt for 2017.
Bryant Museum to Offer Free Admission, Museum Shop Discount on Dec. 15 from 4-8 p.m.
If you have not yet visited the Bryant Museum, or if you've been considering a return trip, Friday, December 15 would be the perfect day to head on over. From 4-8 p.m., the museum will be offering free admission, music and children's activities for the holidays along with 20 percent off purchases made at the gift shop.
University Spotlight
The friendships formed on college campuses can end up being some of best, and the story about Ivan Bailey, Brad Zizzi and their connection that began on UA's Special Olympics College unified flag football team is a great example of that.
#RollTideFriday
We've only got four more #RollTideFridays in 2017, so let's finish it out strong! This week, we're featuring Ashley, who is sporting her Alabama hat all the way in Scotland and Conner, with what looks to be one of Big Al's distant relatives.
Ashley in Scotland
Conner with what looks like one of Big Al's distant relatives
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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