🏀 Bryant Museum is debuting a basketball exhibit Friday, 2/16

[TerryP]

This guy is a good follow on Twitter.

While unveiling football displays in the Paul W. Bryant Museum is not an unexpected event, Friday morning Alabama men’s basketball takes center stage with the official debut of a new exhibit honoring five coaches that have won SEC regular-season championships and the players that have scored more than 1,000 points in their career.

Beginning 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, @AlabamaMBB fans both old and new will be able to see and relive the history of one of the SEC’s winningest programs. The five coaches being honored for their SEC championships are:

𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐩 (𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟑-𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟐, 𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟓-𝟒𝟔)1934 SEC champions, 264 career wins
𝐂.𝐌. 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐭𝐨𝐧 (𝟏𝟗𝟔𝟖-𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟎)1974, 1975, 1975 SEC champions, 211 career wins
𝐖𝐢𝐦𝐩 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 (𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟎-𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟐)1987 SEC champions, 267 career wins
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐆𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 (𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟖-𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟗)2002 SEC champions, 216 career wins
𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐎𝐚𝐭𝐬 (𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟗-𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭)2021, 2023 SEC champions

“With the great success the men’s basketball team has had in recent years, they are so deserving of an exhibit dedicated to the program,” Bryant Museum director Olivia Arnold said. “This is the first time basketball has been featured in the museum and I am so excited to share with our visitors what an amazing program basketball has been and continues to be at The University of Alabama.

”With the vintage-themed game against Texas A&M at 11 a.m. Saturday, this is the perfect weekend for all generations of Alabama basketball fans to visit the museum and see the new exhibit.

The Paul W. Bryant Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Members and children under-5 are free admission. Adults $5, children (K-12) $3, while admission is free to all UA faculty staff and students.𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑠 𝑡𝑜

𝐵𝑟𝑦𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑀𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑢𝑚 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑂𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝐴𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝑝𝑠 𝐻𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑎 𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑥ℎ𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑡.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

I've said this before, but I really wish UA would build a new, bigger museum by the stadium... on that piece of land between Wallace Wade Ave. and the Walk of Champions. Have the entire first floor be dedicated UA football and the 2nd floor to all the other sports. Put a small SupeStore type merchandise store near the exit of the museum. There would be room for some other stuff too... maybe an interactive section for kids or a place to eat. A rooftop bar/coffee shop with lot of TV's would be nice.

 

[rick4bama]

I've said this before, but I really wish UA would build a new, bigger museum by the stadium... on that piece of land between Wallace Wade Ave. and the Walk of Champions. Have the entire first floor be dedicated UA football and the 2nd floor to all the other sports. Put a small SupeStore type merchandise store near the exit of the museum. There would be room for some other stuff too... maybe an interactive section for kids or a place to eat. A rooftop bar/coffee shop with lot of TV's would be nice.

So a sport bar?

 

[TerryP]

So a sport bar?

A bit unrelated, but that's what made the "Houndstooth" (in its original location) such a cool place. It was a sports bar that housed a lot of memorabilia. You can find a fraction of Gary's collection in Rama Jama's.

Which brings me back to Brandon's suggestion. People go to Rama Jama's for the atmosphere and happen to get some good food as well. The same thing WOULD work in a separate facility.

The Patterson Wall of Champions is a nice touch: a nod to other programs at best.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

So a sport bar?

I don't know, mostly spitballin' here. I don't know how well a year round restaurant/bar type place would do in my scenario, but it would kill it on game weekends. A small coffee shop with the ability to exampand out into a bar for big events though? TV's all around to watch other games... These college kids are like sugar ants on watermelon when a coffee place is nearby. And there's enough foot traffic on that side of campus that I bet it would stay very busy. Anyway, just the stuff that rolls around in my head... I'm real good at spending other people's money.

 

[rick4bama]

I don't know, mostly spitballin' here. I don't know how well a year round restaurant/bar type place would do in my scenario, but it would kill it on game weekends. A small coffee shop with the ability to exampand out into a bar for big events though? TV's all around to watch other games... These college kids are like sugar ants on watermelon when a coffee place is nearby. And there's enough foot traffic on that side of campus that I bet it would stay very busy. Anyway, just the stuff that rolls around in my head... I'm real good at spending other people's money.

Well as I see your vision, it remine me of when Planet Hollywood came up with all the moives stuff on the wall. I also like what @TerryP talk about in his thread.

 

[UAgrad93]

@Brandon Van de Graaff I like that idea. I imagine a coffee/snack shop would work really well, year round with students and visitors that come in and out touring the campus as future students or fans taking the stadium tour.

 

[TerryP]

@Brandon Van de Graaff I like that idea. I imagine a coffee/snack shop would work really well, year round with students and visitors that come in and out touring the campus as future students or fans taking the stadium tour.

I'll add to this a bit...we talked about this, briefly, a couple of years ago. And building on what Bran said here as well...

I really liked the idea of a complete retro-fit of the interior of Coleman and this was one of the reasons. In my mind's eye I can see the lower concourse turned into a "museum" of sorts.

Imagine you're attending a game in Coleman and your seats are on the "lower alphabet side." The court is on your left, on the right side of the concourse, in little 'cut outs,' you have areas recognizing teams. IE: The entrance between sections P and Q would have a space honoring the 2004 basketball team: and on down the line.

Brandon's snack bar idea? It's already there. Wanna have a quick beer? It's there.

Even if they build a new arena...the possibility is still there: fans, smack dab in the middle of the athletic complexes.