Crimson Column presented by Mercedes-Benz
4/5/2018 1:26:00 PM | General
Bryant-Denny Stadium Game Day Experience Surveys
Yesterday, surveys were emailed out asking for feedback regarding your game day experience at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The survey contains possible renovation ideas including, but not limited to, concessions, restrooms, concourses and seating. Note that you'll likely see a variety of premium seating options. We thought it was important to include a lot of different choices to see which ones would generate the most interest. That being said, just because something is listed in the survey does not necessarily mean we will move forward with that type of premium option. Our goal is to provide the best game day experience in collegiate athletics, and your feedback is critical for us to make the best decisions regarding Bryant-Denny Stadium. Please know that no decisions have been made to this point, and with the recent tax reform, there are some unanswered questions that we are going to need to get our arms around before we can embark on a project like this. Participation is vital to this exercise, so I ask that you complete the survey to provide us with the information needed to make your experience at Bryant-Denny Stadium the best in the nation. A similar survey will be sent out in the near future for Coleman Coliseum, so be on the lookout!
Gearing up for Busy Weekend in Tuscaloosa
We're heading into a very busy weekend here on campus, one that includes our lone home track & field meet of the season, the NCAA Tuscaloosa Gymnastics Regional Championships, men's tennis taking on Georgia and Tennessee as well as softball's weekend series with the Florida Gators.
- The Crimson Tide Invitational, featuring some of the nation's top teams, gets underway Friday at 3:30 p.m. and continues Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at the Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium.
- The NCAA Gymnastics Regional starts at 4 p.m. Saturday in Coleman Coliseum and is the gateway to the national championships, with the top-two teams out of the six moving on to St. Louis.
- Men's tennis faces Georgia Friday at 6 p.m. and Tennessee Sunday at 1 p.m., both at the Alabama Tennis Stadium.
- Softball plays the Gators on Saturday (12 p.m.), Sunday (2 p.m.) and Monday (6 p.m.).
Tickets are available for the regional and softball series. Track & field and tennis events are free.
A-Day Experiences Available
Once again, we are offering A-Day Experience upgrades, which can be purchased now by visiting rolltide.com/experience on mobile devices. There are several options available from shaded seating to hospitality and pregame field access. Inventory is limited, so if you are interested, I encourage you to check it out soon!
Alberta Head Start Unity Project Going Strong
Our unity project with Alberta Head Start is in full swing and continues tomorrow on National Student-Athlete Day. We will have a large group on hand to complete a beautification project on the school grounds. It's been extremely special to watch the interactions between our student-athletes and staff with the children and teachers at Alberta Head Start, and we look forward to continuing this partnership for years to come.
Bama Blitz
Next week, The University of Alabama will host the first giving day for the campus. The event is called Bama Blitz and will begin at 12 p.m. on April 11 and end at 8:31 p.m. on April 12, lasting 1 day, 8 hours and 31 minutes in honor of the University's founding year. Bama Blitz is an inspiring online fundraising event for alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends to come together and support The University of Alabama. Using the power of social media and crowdfunding, you can give back and pay forward in support of The University of Alabama. The athletics department is excited to participate in the inaugural Bama Blitz as we work to raise funding for a full scholarship for a student-athlete.
The key to the success of Bama Blitz is participation, and we hope you will consider making a gift next week! After you make your gift, please share on social media to raise awareness and encourage others to join you in support of UA and athletics. The more attention Bama Blitz receives on social media, the more successful it will be! You are also welcome to become an Ambassador for Bama Blitz. You can sign up at bamablitz.ua.edu to help use your social media presence to promote giving during Bama Blitz.
So mark your calendar for April 11-12 to make your gift to Alabama Athletics at bamablitz.ua.edu!
Event Management Implements A Team Pin for Outstanding Customer Service
We have lots of outstanding event staff workers, and recently, our event management team came up with a great way to recognize those staffers for their commitment to excellence in customer service. Individuals going above and beyond the normal call of duty at baseball this season have been presented with A Team pins, which many of them proudly display at games. As of this week, our event management crew has awarded nearly 30 A Team pins!
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
I really enjoyed visiting with our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) during this week's meeting at the Bill Battle Academic Center. They're all working hard on various projects, including getting ready for the Crimson Choice Awards, which are coming up fast. Catch the countdown via SAAC's Twitter account at @UA_SAAC.
The Crimson Tide's Academic Excellence Continues
Earlier today, the Southeastern Conference announced the first finalists for this year's H. Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Scholarships, which go to the men's and women's SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Mackenzie Brannan (gymnastics) and Luke Kaliszak (swimming and diving). Both All-Americans and CoSIDA Academic All-Americans are on track to graduate in May. Mack carries a 4.0 grade point average while pursuing a psychology degree while Luke has a 3.97 GPA on a premed track. This year's winners will be announced in early June. Alabama has an SEC-best 11 honors over the award's 32-year history after Luke's former teammate, Anton McKee, was named the 2017 men's SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Built by Bama Service Award
Riley Edwards, Assistant Director of Compliance, is our latest athletics department staffer to earn the Built by Bama Service Award. Riley's job is certainly an important one, dealing with every student-athlete that comes through our doors, as well as parents and high schools across the country, the Southeastern Conference and NCAA offices. Through all that, he is universally praised for the quality of his work and his extraordinary work ethic and great attitude. Great job, Riley!
University Spotlight
Congratulations to Dr. Trudier Harris on receiving the 2018 SEC Faculty Achievement Award. In addition to being recognized by our conference, Dr. Harris also earned the 2018 Clarence E. Cason Award in Nonfiction Writing and has been named a 2018-19 Fellow of the National Humanities Center.
#RollTideFriday
With it being Masters' week, I couldn't help but include this photo of Susan West on the links decked out in her Alabama gear. We've also got Jody Gambrell checking in all the way from London!
Susan West on the links
Jody Gambrell checking in all the way from London
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.
Upcoming Schedule of Events
View the list of upcoming events, broadcast information, start times and stat links on our composite calendar. (Note: All times are listed in Central Time.)
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