Plans are on track to move forward for the new training and player development facility coming to Alabama basketball .
The Physical Properties Committee of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees reviewed and recommended the approval of the reallocated project budget and granted authorization to execute a construction contract for the expansion to and renovation of Coleman Coliseum .
Approval on the fourth stage of the project is expected to come in a vote by the full board of trustees on Friday afternoon.
Projected to open in 2026, construction is already underway for the facility, which will include new locker rooms, training rooms, weight rooms, coaches offices overseeing the floor and more. The price of the build is evaluated at roughly $59 million .
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The first two stages of the project were approved in June. Trustees approved the third stage of construction for the 48,000-square foot expansion adjacent to the arena in September.
Wi-Fi expansion and enhancements for Coleman Coliseum and Bryant-Denny Stadium were also recommended for approval in order to better support the "connectivity needs" of fans and athletics staff.
Alabama's men's and women's basketball both started the 2024-25 season 1-0 with respective victories over UNC-Asheville and New Orleans. Men's coach Nate Oats' crew made a historic run to the Final Four last season, while women's coach Kristy Curry's squad reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
At SEC media days in October, Curry said the facility will be the "best in the league."
"Being in the same building and being able to be right there, I think it's going to be really special for both programs," Curry said. "It's a game-changer for us."
In June, UA director of athletics Greg Byrne told the Tuscaloosa News, "The practice gym is the coach's classroom.
"It's where they teach and they develop," Byrne said. "We're doing this right now to take a very significant step for our basketball programs and then allowing us to navigate the waters that we're in, in college athletics right now. Then realizing the arena still has to be addressed."
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Committee recommends Alabama basketball facility for approval by trustees
