Alabama AD Greg Byrne said that the school is "looking at either building a new arena or doing a major renovation of Coleman Coliseum." In Birmingham, Michael Casagrande noted the venue is 50 years old and "not up to the standard" of other newer or recently improved homes of SEC basketball. Byrne said, "It's leaning more towards the idea of a remodel but even there, we're not there yet." Byrne added that there "wasn't any kind of timetable set for when any changes would be designed, announced or implemented." UA men's basketball coach Avery Johnson said, "It will be more of a renovation than a new building." Johnson said that the school also is "addressing student participation in the game-day environment" (AL.com, 5/30).
SO FAR, SO GOOD: Tennessee AD Phillip Fulmer said the Neyland Stadium renovation project is "on track" and "in a good place." In Knoxville, Blake Toppmeyer notes no date "has been set for the start of construction." UT's BOT athletics committee "approved project plans in November for a two-part stadium renovation" set to cost $340M. UT Assistant AD/Media Relations Tom Satkowiak said that the school is "'tracking slightly behind' its season-ticket sales figure compared to last season" for football. UT sold about 69,000 season tickets in '17, and Satkowiak said that in addition to renewals, UT "has sold 1,900 season tickets to new holders" since football coach Jeremy Pruitt was hired in December (Knoxville NEWS SENTINEL, 5/31).
FOOTBALL FIRST: 247SPORTS.com's Brandon Marcello reported Auburn "appears to be moving closer to making plans for a new facility to house the football program." Football coach Gus Malzahn, AD Allen Greene and other school reps "have had discussions about building a new complex for the sole use of the football program." The Auburn Athletics Complex, built in '89, serves as the "home of the football program, administrators, media relations, marketing and other support staffers across several sports." The facility also "includes a locker room for the football team with access to the Tigers' indoor practice facility and outdoor practice fields." Plans "have not been presented" to the Auburn BOT (247SPORTS.com, 5/30).
WILDCAT WISH LIST: In Lexington, Jennifer Smith in a front-page piece cited documents as showing that if Kentucky "gets key items on its Memorial Coliseum renovation wish list it will cost the school" about $15M. UK AD Mitch Barnhart said of the Memorial Coliseum project, "I don't think there's a time line. My hope is sooner rather than later." Smith noted some of the biggest-ticket items from the assessment include over $3M for "heating and air conditioning upgrades" and nearly $2.2M for an "enclosed club area in the north end zone where a mezzanine and inaccessible bleachers now sit" (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 5/30).
