Greg Byrne and Nate Oats share update on new basketball arena

THE PROCESS WILL RUN THROUGH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. WELL, FOR YEARS, ALABAMA BASKETBALL FANS HAVE BEEN WANTING A NEW FACILITY TO REPLACE COLEMAN COLISEUM. IT’S BEEN UPGRADED OVER THE YEARS, BUT NEVER REALLY LIVES UP TO FAN EXPECTATIONS AND NOW THE NEW ARENA IS A GO WVTM THIRTEEN’S RYAN HENNESSY IS IN DESTIN AT THE SEC SPRING MEETINGS WITH THE LATEST ON THE PROGRESS OF THE NEW FACILITY. YOU KNOW, WE’VE BEEN IN COLEMAN THE LAST THREE YEARS. WE’VE WON FOUR OUT OF THE SIX SCC CHAMPIONSHIPS. WE RECRUITING IS GOING GREAT. A NEW BASKETBALL ARENA WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE FANS IN TUSCALOOSA. HERE AT SPRING MEETINGS IN DESTIN, I SPOKE TO BOTH THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, GREG BYRNE, AND THE HEAD BASKETBALL COACH NATE OATS ON HOW CLOSE THEY ARE TO GETTING A NEW ARENA. AND IT’S A NEED OR COLEMAN’S OVER 50 YEARS OLD THAT’S NOT GETTING YOUNGER RIGHT I’M NOT THE SAME AGE AS I AM. THE CRIMSON STANDARD PHASE TWO WAS RELEASED, BUT THEN COSTS WENT UP BIG TIME. AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE THINK IT’S AN EXCUSE. IT’S NOT. IT’S REALITY. COSTS HAVE GONE UP ABOUT $100 MILLION IN A YEAR, AND WE’VE CONTINUED TO GET SEVERAL SEVEN FIGURE TYPE GIFTS. WE HAVEN’T FOUND $100 MILLION GIFT. IF ANYBODY HAS SOMEBODY OUT THERE THAT COULD HELP US WITH THAT, I’D LOVE TO TALK WITH HIM. BUT IT’S STILL A PRIORITY FOR US. WE’RE STILL TRYING TO BE OUT THERE, ACTIVELY RAISE MONEY FOR IT, DESPITE THE DATED STADIUM IN COLEMAN HAS NOT HAD AN IMPACT IN RECRUITING OR COACHING. I THINK IT’S GOING TO COME. IT’S CLOSE. THEY’RE GOT GREAT PRIDE. THIS IS WHAT THEY’RE TELLING ME. AND WE’RE GETTING CLOSER TO A SOLUTION ON IT. ALABAMA IS GETTING CLOSER TO GAIN THEIR DREAM STADIUM, BUT THE QUESTION IS HOW CLOSE UNTIL THEY GET IT D