The Crimson Column presented by Mercedes-Benz
8/17/2018 1:52:00 PM | General
The Crimson Standard
Yesterday was a special day here at The University of Alabama where we unveiled our 10-year, $600 million capital initiative, The Crimson Standard. This comprehensive plan will enhance nearly all of our athletics venues, providing the best game-day experience possible for our student-athletes and fans. If you have not yet seen the flythrough video, I encourage you to take a look. There, you'll see several of the potential upgrades to the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility, Coleman Coliseum and Bryant-Denny Stadium. To date, we've had nearly $143 million committed to The Crimson Standard, $1 million of which was gifted by Coach Saban and Ms. Terry at our press conference, and we are extremely thankful to both of them for their generous contribution. Keep in mind all projects are subject to approval from The University of Alabama Board of Trustees and President along with fundraising success. For more information and premium seating options, visit CrimsonTideFoundation.org.
Soccer to get 2018-19 Athletics Season Underway
Alabama officially kicks off the 2018-19 sports season with a pair of games this weekend. The Crimson Tide will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to take on TCU on Friday at 7 p.m. CT, and will remain in the state of Texas when it takes on North Texas on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT. Following those matches, Alabama will begin a seven-game homestand with its home opener against FGCU on August 24 at 7 p.m. CT. Admission to all home contests is free to students and the general public. In its lone exhibition match of the season, the Tide took down No. 25 Tennessee, 1-0, on Aug. 10 in Knoxville.
Kristen Gillman wins 2018 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship
Congratulations to Kristen Gillman for winning the 2018 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship last weekend! In fact, it was an all-Alabama final as she and teammate Jiwon Jeon faced each other in the last round. Kristen is the second Crimson Tide student-athlete to win the U.S. Amateur Championship, joining Emma Talley, who did so in 2013.
Nick Saban Contract Extension
We are thrilled that Coach Saban agreed to a contract extension last month that will keep him in charge of our football program through the 2025 season. He and Ms. Terry have had such an incredible impact in Tuscaloosa and beyond, and we are so fortunate to have them as part of the Crimson Tide.
Tickets Remain for Football Opener in Orlando
If you're looking to join us in Orlando, know that tickets are still on sale for the Camping World Kickoff game against Louisville on Saturday, September 1. You can click here for more information on pricing and availability.
Athletics Dining Facility Opens its Doors
Nearly one month ago we celebrated the grand opening of our Athletics Dining Facility, which is truly the best of its kind. Kudos to Amy Bragg and the rest of our performance nutrition staff for creating such an amazing space to fuel our student-athletes.
Collin Sexton has Successful Summer League
Former Alabama standout Collin Sexton lived up to the hype surrounding his eighth overall selection by the Cleveland Cavaliers at the 2018 NBA Draft in June. Sexton, who was the third-highest Crimson Tide NBA draftee in program history, ended play at the 2018 Las Vegas NBA Summer League as the Cavs' leader in scoring, assists and field goals made and attempted on his way to earning All-NBA Summer League First Team honors. In seven games, Collin averaged 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in leading the team to a 5-2 record. We look forward to following Collin's career when regular season starts up in October!
Softball Visits Japan
Thanks to the generous fundraising efforts by the Bama Softball Walk-Off Club along with money raised from our annual trivia night and coaches clinic, Alabama softball was afforded the incredible opportunity to take a 10-day trip to Japan over the summer. The trip coincided with the lead up to the World Baseball Softball Confederation World Championships. A large number of international teams converged on Japan to scrimmage, and the Crimson Tide was able to play a pair of doubleheaders against the New Zealand and Great Britain national teams. Of course the team also experienced the unique and amazing Japanese culture off the field, which included a tour of Tokyo, visits to a number of beautiful historic shrines and temples, a ride on the bullet train and a visit to Hiroshima and its Peace Memorial and Museum. The week ended with day one of the WBSC World Championship, which included current Tide pitcher Courtney Gettins with New Zealand and Alabama alum Haylie McCleney with Team USA.
Alabama Aquatic Center Reboot
The plans for the revitalization of the Alabama Aquatic Center, home of the our swimming and diving programs, have been finalized and are currently out for bid with the goal being to start construction as early as next month. I encourage you to take a look at the latest renderings for the project.
Life Skills and ProjectTUSK
Members of our football and men's basketball teams had the opportunity to get a jump on the new school year this summer with a tour of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, to learn more about the state of Alabama and its history of change. The trips served as the kickoff for year two of our Life Skills program's ProjectTUSK initiative. TUSK stands for "Together in Unity & Strengthened Knowledge" and is focused on promoting diversity among University of Alabama student-athletes and creating a culture of inclusive excellence.
University Spotlight
There are some pretty cool programs here on campus for our students, one of which allows students to borrow up to four items of professional attire, free of charge, for up to a week. The Crimson Career Closet, spearheaded by then-doctoral student Adora Hicks, went from serving nearly 50 students to more than 800 in just one year. We are also proud to say that Adora is now part of the athletics staff, working with our student-athletes as the coordinator of career and leadership development. Great job on The Crimson Career Closet, and congratulation on earning your PhD!
#RollTideFriday
We've had some great submissions rolling in for #RollTideFriday lately. This week's come to us from Stephanie Martin in Ohio and Mandy Wyatt all the way in Shanghai! Â
Mandy Wyatt
Stephanie Martin
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.
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