Skip Navigation

COLEMAN COLISEUM

Exterior of COLEMAN COLISEUM

Namesake

  • Opened in 1968 as Memorial Coliseum
  • Was renamed Coleman Coliseum in 1988 in honor of Jefferson Jackson "Jeff" Coleman, a longtime Crimson Tide historian, business manager and alumni director, who served on the committee that oversaw the Coliseum's planning and construction

History

  • Since 1968, Coleman Coliseum has served as the home court of the Crimson Tide men's basketball team and the vaunted structure has seen more than 600 Alabama wins under its distinctive arched roof
  • Originally constructed at a cost of $4.2 million with the structure occupying two acres of land, with the roof reaching 90 feet above the playing surface and almost 100,000 square feet of space in the main seating bowl
  • Opened its doors for the first time on January 30, 1968, for the traveling Broadway show "The Roar of the Greasepaint"
  • Elvis Presley was one of the biggest names to perform at the Arena, making his first appearance on Nov. 14, 1971. He returned to the arena on June 3, 1975. The last time he performed at the arena was on August 30, 1976, a year before he died
  • Led Zeppelin performed a sold-out show at Memorial Coliseum on May 10, 1973, the fourth stop on their 1973 North American Tour
  • On May 17, 1977, American jam band the Grateful Dead played a two set (plus encore) show at the venue, their one and only appearance in Tuscaloosa
  • President Ronald Reagan visited Coleman Coliseum during his 1984 presidential re-election campaign
  • Since the City of Tuscaloosa does not have a municipal civic center, the demand for events grew rapidly and the Coliseum doubled its capacity in the 1970s due to this
  • In the 1990s marquee concerts and events that the arena had seen in the previous two decades grew scarce as the facility became more outdated and became mostly devoted to Crimson Tide athletic events. In the hope that the University could pull more excitement for events at the facility, the Coliseum underwent a significant renovation in 2005, which cost over $24 million
  • Coleman Coliseum is also noted for the historic Alabama-LSU basketball game that took place on February 7, 1970. LSU's Pete Maravich scored a career-high 69 points in a 106–104 loss to Alabama, including 47 points alone in the second half. The mark still stands as the most points ever scored by any player in the venue's rich history.
  • The Coliseum also features an auxiliary training facility that houses two full-size courts at the team's disposal for practices and individual workouts. The facility also includes state-of-the-art video, training, weight and equipment rooms.

Exceptional Features

  • Coleman Coliseum was decades ahead of its time when originally constructed in 1968 at a cost of $4.2 million.
  • The structure occupies two acres of land, with the roof reaching 90 feet above the playing surface and almost 100,000 square feet of space in the main seating bowl.
  • At its inception, the Coliseum's capacity of 15,032 was easily the biggest in the Southeastern Conference and the fifth-largest in the nation.
  • Coleman Coliseum saw its greatest transformation prior to the 2005-06 season, when the entire facility was updated in grand fashion. Behind a bold modernized facade, the interior lobbies and concourses were expanded and upgraded along with offices, locker rooms and support facilities. In the main seating area, 15,316 new seats, all theater style and many of them padded, welcomed raucous crowds along with a new club area along the east side of the court.
  • The improvements didn't stop there, as the consistently evolving facility continues to receive upgrades each season to keep it at the forefront of the nation's basketball facilities.
  • The most recent updates included a new state-of-the-art high-definition scoreboard hanging over center court and additional courtside seating to bring the facility's capacity to 15,383.
  • The Coliseum also features an auxiliary training facility that houses two full-size courts at the team's disposal for practices and individual workouts. The facility also includes state-of-the-art video, training, weight and equipment rooms.

Directions

From the East

  • Take I-20/59 West until you come to Exit 73 for US-82 McFarland Boulevard
  • Turn right at the exit ramp and follow signs for Tuscaloosa/Downtown/University of Alabama/Columbus
  • Merge on US-82 W McFarland Boulevard E.
  • Take the AL-215/University Boulevard exit toward University of Alabama
  • Keep right at the fork and follow signs for Alabama 215S. Turn right onto AL-215 S/University Boulevard E.
  • Take a slight left onto Paul W. Bryant Drive
  • Go approximately 1/2 mile and Coleman Coliseum will be on the left

From the West

  • Take I-59/20 to exit 73
  • Turn left on to U.S. Highway 82 West
  • Drive approximately 2 miles and turn right at the University Boulevard exit
  • Stay in the left lane and proceed down Paul Bryant Drive
  • Go approximately 1/2 mile and Coleman Coliseum will be on the left

From the North

  • Take US-82 East to AL-215-S exit
  • Keep right at the fork and follow signs for AL-215-S.
  • Make a slight left onto Paul W Bryant Drive
  • Go approximately 1/2 mile and Coleman Coliseum will be on the left

From the South

  • Take US-82 West. Take the AL-215/University Boulevard exit toward University of Alabama
  • Keep right at the fork and follow signs for Alabama 215 S.
  • Turn right onto AL-215 S/University Boulevard E
  • Take a slight left onto Paul W. Bryant Drive
  • Go approximately 1/2 mile and Coleman Coliseum will be on the left