Crimson Column presented by Mercedes-Benz
8/17/2017 4:02:00 PM | General
Welcome Back!
I hope everyone enjoyed some rest and relaxation over the summer months and that you are all recharged and ready to go for the upcoming season! Regina and I, and our dogs Biscuit and Sadie, are all now officially residents of Tuscaloosa after settling into our new home. We've had some great nights out on the lake, attended a few concerts and have met a lot of wonderful people along the way. As enjoyable as the summer was, we are looking forward to what lies ahead with our first full season as part of the Crimson Tide.
Justin Thomas Wins PGA Championship
Congratulations to former Alabama men's golfer Justin Thomas on winning his first career major on Sunday at the PGA Championship! What a special moment it was to see him hoist the Wanamaker Trophy only four years after leading the Crimson Tide to the 2013 NCAA National Championship. We hope to recognize Justin at an upcoming home football game this fall, and we will keep everyone posted as we try to find a date that works.
Soccer Starts 2017-18 Season on Friday
Our first regular-season event of the 2017-18 season will take place on Friday, Aug. 18, when our women's soccer team hosts Jacksonville State at 7 p.m. The team returns for another home matchup on Sunday, Aug. 20, against Samford, which is also slated for a 7 p.m. start. Coach Wes Hart and his squad prepped for the opening weekend with an exhibition last week, where the Crimson Tide came away with a 2-0 win over Middle Tennessee. If you are in the Tuscaloosa area, I encourage you to come out to the Alabama Soccer Complex where admission is always free.
Countdown to Kickoff Reaches 16 Days
That's right. We are now only 16 days away from the 2017 opener where Coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide will take the field in the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta against Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game. One week later we will kick things off in Tuscaloosa against Fresno State in Bryant-Denny Stadium. In case you missed it, we are currently running a flash sale on a select number of tickets that will end on Friday, Aug. 25.
Men's Basketball Enjoys Canadian Tour
Before even getting into the actual trip, I have to give the Crimson Tide fan base a huge pat on the back for showing up in full force to the open practice at Coleman Coliseum prior to the team's departure. The crowd was estimated to be at nearly 3,000 fans, and we all were given a glimpse of the excitement that is in store for the upcoming season. I could sense the energy and passion from our fans, and I shared in your enthusiasm of what's in store for Crimson Tide hoops. While in Canada, Coach Avery Johnson and his team squared off against some of the best basketball competition that the country had to offer and left with a pair of impressive victories. The team played well and more importantly, they represented The University of Alabama in a first class manner that would make you all proud. I would be remiss not to mention that basketball season tickets are officially on sale as of Aug. 18, so be sure to get yours today.
Hey, Coach Radio Show
The Hey, Coach Radio Show begins tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the newly-renovated Baumhower's Victory Grille on Harper Lee Drive. This week's guests include head soccer coach Wes Hart and head volleyball coach Ed Allen, and yours truly will be making an appearance next week. As I mentioned earlier, soccer will kick off its season Friday. Volleyball will begin its 2017 slate with two road tournaments – first at Purdue in the Mortar Board Premier, Aug. 25-26, followed by a trip to South Alabama for the Jaguar Invitational, Sept. 1-2.
University Spotlight
Lots of people are already gearing up for next week's solar eclipse, however a group of seven University of Alabama students have long been preparing for this day. As part of a nation-wide science project led by NASA, the students will launch a specially-developed balloon that will video the solar eclipse from 100,000 feet in the air. With the help of the 55 balloons in the project nationwide, NASA plans to livestream the eclipse over the internet as it travels across the country.
#RollTideFriday
We had some great #RollTideFriday posts from all over the world on people's summer vacations, two of which you'll see below. Neil Fredrickson checked in on his trip to Switzerland in June, while Sandra Taylor traveled nearly 10,000 miles to get a shot of her with our favorite animal in Thailand.
Neil Fredrickson proudly sporting his Alabama gear in Lugano, Switzerland.
Sandra Taylor showing her support of the Crimson Tide all the way in Thailand.
We had a great run with our #RollTideFriday efforts over the final few months of the 2016-17 season, so let's continue that and aim for an even better showing in 2017-18. Remember to use the hashtag #RollTideFriday in your 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 Event
View the list of upcoming events, broadcast information, start times and stat links on our composite calendar. (Note: All times are listed as Central Standard Time, i.e. Tuscaloosa time.)
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