Coleman Coliseum
From NCAA Wiki
| |
| Facility Statistics | |
| Location | Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
| Broke Ground | ?? |
| Opened | 1968 |
| Owner | University of Alabama |
| Operator | University of Alabama |
| Surface | na |
| Seating Capacity | 14,619 |
| Cost (USD) | 4,200,000 |
The King. The Gipper. Shaq. Bocephus. They've all played there. Coleman Coliseum's walls can boast of holding some great moments in time.
January 30, 1993 marked the silver anniversary for the University of Alabama's facility, officially renamed from Memorial Coliseum in 1988. It currently covers two acres and centers the Athletics Complex. It was recently expanded, adding a gymnastics, volleyball and basketball practice area.
Coleman Coliseum's arena has a seating capacity of 14,619 for basketball and 15,400 for non-sporting events (where chairs can be added on the floor).
The building opened on Jan. 30, 1968, with a performance of the Broadway touring production "The Roar of the Greasepaint; the Smell of the Crowd." That presentation was followed two days later by the Alabama vs. Samford mens basketball game. Since that time, the coliseum has hosted a diversity of events including commencement exercises, a visit by President Ronald Reagan, alumni gatherings, an annual bass tournament weigh-in spot, student convocations, concerts, operas, ballets and orations by political figures. Travis Tritt filmed his "Bible Belt" country music video there. Superstars who have performed on its stages include Elvis Presley, Tom Petty, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Reba McIntyre, Jay Leno and Hank Williams, Jr.
It also serves as the home of the Crimson Tide volleyball, gymnastics and basketball teams.
All seats in the main arena are of the theatre variety with 5,400 of the choice seats padded with spring cushions. It's user friendly with ramps for wheelchair access as well as prime seats on the floor for handicapped fans.
The building, equivalent to a seven-story structure at its apex, is completely air-conditioned. No state funds were included in its building cost of $4.2 million. Athletic Department funds paid half the cost and a special building fee provided the balance.
The Coliseum houses the athletic department offices for all varsity sports with the exception of football, which is housed in a complex adjacent to the Coliseum, men's tennis, located in the Indoor Tennis Center, and swimming which is in the Aquatic Center. It features an elegant suite that serves as the President's reception area, an auxiliary gymnasium, an equipment room, weight rooms, a steam bath, a training room, food service areas, a photo studio, and locker room facilities for staff and the athletes.
Media covering the Crimson Tide have a choice of two areas for filing their stories, either in the Media Room or the Sports Information Office, both located just off the floor.
For basketball games, the playing area of the coliseum is lit with 96 1,000-watt mercury vapor, color-corrected bulbs providing 450-foot candlepower 48 inches above the court. Quartz iodine lighting in the coliseum is not a factor in photography.
Coleman Coliseum got a bit of a facelift when the large mid-court scoreboard was taken down and replaced by a pair of endline scoreboards equipped with video replay screens.
In addition to the scoreboards, Alabama's parquet floor was repainted with the Tide's new elephant logo at center court.
Courtside seats were also added on the south sideline to provide Crimson Tide fans a chance to get up close and personal with the action.
The spacious weight room in the football building serves as the off-season home for the Crimson Tide basketball team. The weight facility offers a variety of free weights, weight machines, stationary bikes and stair climbers.
