TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Bryant-Denny Stadium is shedding some seats to make room for a few significant renovations.
Alabama announced a long-term facilities plan called “The Crimson Standard” Thursday that includes a new video board in the south end zone along with several other improvements such as new skyboxes, new club areas and the addition of 3,826 new premium seats. The upgrades will reduce the stadium's seating capacity of 101,821. While a new capacity is unknown, it is expected that the renovated Bryant-Denny will drop below the 100,000-seat mark.
Alabama’s “Crimson Standard” project is expected to cost $600 million over a 10-year period. A total of $143 million has already been contributed, including a $1 million donation from Alabama head coach Nick Saban and his wife, Terry Saban.
“This is a great initiative I think we’re launching here,” Saban said. “I’d like to thank the leadership we have at the university and our athletic department for having the vision. I’d also like to thank the supporters and the people who have always provided our student-athletes with the best opportunities to be successful. Coach [Mal] Moore started all this I think when I came here to have the best infrastructure we possibly could to be successful. I think to continue that standard of excellence is something that’s very, very important to the success of the athletic programs in the future, all athletic programs here at the university…
“To improve the weight room, the locker room, to make the improvements to the stadium that we are talking about are all things that I think will continue to provide Alabama to have a standard is No. 1 all across the country. I think people try to emulate what we do, on the field, off the field. So I think to continue to be proactive and aggressive in the future is only going to help us keep the kind of standard relative to everybody else that we need to have continued success."
Bryant-Denny was most recently renovated in 2010 when an upper deck was added to the south end zone. It is currently one of eight college stadiums with a capacity of 100,000 or more fans. Although, that will likely change following the renovations.
Downsizing has become a common trend in college football as stadium attendance has dropped across the nation in recent years. The changes to Bryant-Denny Stadium are thought to provide fans with a more premium game-day experience.
Work on Phase 1 is planned to begin after the 2019 football season. The cost for that phase is expected to be $78 million, but that number is "fluid," according to Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne.
Plans to upgrade the fans' game-day experience through expanded concession areas, restrooms and main concourses will be part of "Phase 3" and are estimated to cost $210 million.
Anticipated Bryant-Denny Stadium enhancements
— Renovation and expansion of multiple seating areas to include three new club areas and the addition of 3,826 new premium seats
— The addition of Loge Boxes, new skyboxes on the east U1 level and west side Founders Suites, as well as a complete renovation of all existing
— A relocated press box
— Improvements to all team areas including the locker room and tunnel
— Renovated recruiting areas
— Expanded concourses to allow for better traffic flow as all fans enter and exit the stadium
— Renovated concession areas and main concourses to provide an improved game-day experience for fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium
Coleman Coliseum will also see massive upgrades
Coleman Coliseum, the home of Alabama men’s and women’s basketball and gymnastics, is also set to receive a major facelift as part of the “Crimson Standard” project.
The seating bowl will be entirely renovated, bringing fans as much as 35 feet closer to the court compared to their present location. A variety of seating options and amenities will be offered, including club seats, lounge areas and a court-side club located behind the basket. The new configuration is projected to seat between 9,500 and 10,000 fans, which is roughly 4,000 less than what the arena holds now. The estimated cost of the renovation is $115 million. According to Byrne, a new arena would have cost at least $70 million more.
The new student section will be situated from baseline to baseline similar to other SEC schools like Auburn and Ole Miss.
The new design is thought to create a more open-air feel with the seating bowl connected to the main concourse. New lighting, ribbon boards and a video board will be added.
Student-athletes are also expected to benefit from the renovation. New women's basketball and gymnastics team locker rooms will be built on the south side of the arena along with new men's and women's basketball offices. A new loading dock and kitchen will also be built on the east side to allow better functionality and fan offerings throughout the arena.
The renovation is scheduled to begin after the 2021-2022 season. It is not yet known if any of Alabama’s games will need to be played at a different location due to construction.
Nick and Terry Saban donate 1M to the Crimson Standard
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