Byrne Notice presented by Mercedes-Benz
5/21/2020 12:48:00 PM | General
Doing our Part
If you've seen any of my recent social media posts, or heard me doing an interview lately, you know how much We've emphasized the importance of wearing a mask or other face covering when around other people ... especially inside. We're not only encouraging those words around here, but the handful of us that are in the office working are also actively engaged in practicing that habit, including Coach Saban, head athletic trainer Jeff Allen and even Big Al.
For those of you who may have missed it last week, we recently added a pack of Alabama-themed face coverings to our online store. The proceeds from sales of these will go directly to the University's Student Assistance Fund.
Another Football Home-and-Home on the Books
We mentioned early on that we were going to make every effort to add more home-and-homes to our future non-conference football schedules, and today, we announced our ninth with the addition of Arizona for the 2032 and 2033 seasons. While this one is a ways down the road, we begin playing out the home-and-homes we've scheduled in 2022 and 2023 with Texas. In addition to the Wildcats and Longhorns, we are also slated to face Wisconsin (2024 & 2025), Florida State (2025 & 2026), West Virginia (2026 & 2027), Notre Dame (2028 & 2029), Georgia Tech (2030 & 2031), Oklahoma (2032 & 2033) and Virginia Tech (2034 & 2035). After the announcement, I was reminded by a local media member that Las Vegas is only an hour flight away from Tucson, so you can make it a multi-stop trip if you want!
Even More SEC Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Alabama swept the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors when it came to tennis with Alba Cortina Pou earning the honor for the women and Edson Oritz bringing home the honor for the men. Alba's honor gives the Tide an SEC-best seven in women's tennis since the award's inception in 2003-04, while Edson earned our third honor for the men and first since 2014. These two bumped our 2019-20 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognitions to eight, a new single-season record for the Tide, bettering the previous total of six, which came in 2012-13. Alba and Edson join Shea Mahoney (gymnastics), Jordan Lewis (women's basketball), Zane Waddell (men's swimming and diving), Daija Lampkin (women's indoor track and field), Vincent Kiprop (men's cross country) and Nealy Martin (soccer) in earning the award this year, bumping our all-time total to 60.
Crimson Tide Maintains Strong NCAA APR Showing
Alabama Athletics continues to post strong numbers when it comes to the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate. Last week it was announced that five of our teams earned NCAA Division I Public Recognition by ranking in the top-10 percent nationally in their respective sports when it comes APR, marking the sixth year in a row that we've had four or more teams honored in this manner. We were also one of just five schools to earn this recognition for both football and men's basketball. Earlier this week the NCAA released the full slate of APR scores, and all 21 of our teams were once again well above the cutoff standard, including 13 that posted scores above the national average for their sports. Our dedication to academic excellence is strong and campus wide as benchmarks such as this demonstrates.
More CoSIDA Academic Awards for the Crimson Tide
The CoSIDA Academic All-District honorees were announced last week for softball and baseball, and the Crimson Tide had four total. Kolby Robinson became the first UA baseball player since 2011 to make the district list, while Bailey Hemphill, Kaylee Tow and Krystal Goodman earned spots for softball. It was the third district honor for Bailey, the second for Kaylee and first for Krystal. All four now move on to the national ballot for Academic All-America voting. Kolby, Bailey, Kaylee and Kristal bump our CoSIDA Academic All-District IV honorees to nine so far this year, joining Landon Dickerson (football), Jordan Lewis (women's basketball), Nealy Martin (soccer), Alex Plavin (soccer) and Jedrick Wills Jr. (football). Alex and Nealy went on to earn Academic All-America honors this fall, while Bailey is already a two-time Academic All-American and Kaylee is looking for her second honor this season.
Rowing Places Program-Best 36 on Academic All-Big 12 Team
Glenn Putyrae's squad continues to get it done on the water and in the classroom. Earlier this month, the Big 12 (yes, we compete as an affiliate member of the Big 12 in rowing) announced that 36 UA rowers earned Academic All-Big 12 honors. That total includes 33 that earned first-team recognition and four who posted a 4.0 grade point average.
Thank You
Last week, the Crimson Tide Foundation sent this video of our head coaches thanking CTF donors for their support and generosity. I want to echo our coaches' sentiments of gratitude to our loyal fans, donors and supporters. We are especially thankful for each of you during these challenging times. As we strive to provide the best support for our student-athletes while preparing for the day they will be able to return to campus, we know that it is only through your generosity that we are in the best possible position we could be right now. Thank you! Also, make sure you follow @UACTF on social media. You can take a look at the CTF social posts over the past week that featured the full messages from our head coaches.
Premium Seating Selection Update
As we move forward with plans to be ready to play football in Bryant-Denny Stadium this fall, we are also preparing to open our new premium seating areas. Everyone who has committed to a Loge Box or to seats in the Champions or Terrace Clubs should have received communication from the Crimson Tide Foundation regarding your seat selection appointment. To ensure we maintain proper social distancing, we are conducing all of these appointments via Zoom or by phone, but are committed to providing a personalized experience for each seat holder. If you have not received your seat selection appointment, please contact the Foundation at ctf@ia.ua.edu or call 205-348-1076 (M-F; 8:30-4:30). If you are interested in the premium seating areas for the fall, please note that both the Loge Boxes and Terrace Club are sold out. However, a limited number of Champions Club seats are available. For information or assistance, you can contact the Crimson Tide Foundation.
University Spotlight
Through the end of May, UA's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is offering free online educational opportunities for adults. These courses, ranging from coronavirus, to cybersecurity to nature and history, will be conducted through Zoom.
#RollTideFriday
Love seeing our fans wearing masks all while representing the Tide on #RollTideFriday! First up is Greg Hulsey in Huntsville, Alabama. We also have Susan and Marvin Green with some fantastic Alabama masks in Dallas.
Greg Hulsey
Susan and Marvin Green
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. Let's keep these great photos coming!
