Bama Gymnastics Ranked Third In Preseason Coaches Poll
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| Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide gymnastics team is ranked No. 3 in the coaches poll to begin the 2017 season. The Bama belles will travel to Oklahoma to take on the Sooners to open the new season on January 6th.
Alabama gymnastics head coach Dana Duckworth commented, "This shows that we are once again considered a contender for the national championship. That's our goal every year – to be on the floor of the national championships on the last night of the season, with a chance to win."
The only gymnastics program to finish in the top four nationally in each of the last eight seasons, the Crimson Tide captured back-to-back NCAA championships in 2011 and 2012 as well as a third-place finish in 2016.
The 2017 season will begin the way it ended in 2016, with the Oklahoma Sooners ranked first, LSU second, and the Crimson Tide coming in at No. 3.
Alabama opens the 2017 season at No. 1 Oklahoma on January 6th and then opens its home season against the second-ranked LSU Tigers on January 13th.
Duckworth continued, "There's no doubt we have one of the toughest schedules in the nation this season, especially starting out with No. 1 and No. 2. We'll definitely need our fans out in force both at home and on the road. Their support means everything to our ladies, especially when LSU, Florida and Auburn come to Tuscaloosa for our first three home meets."
Season tickets are available for purchase now through the Alabama Ticket Office (205-348-2262) located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum and online at RollTide.com.
UCLA comes in at No. 4, the Florida Gators are at No. 5, Utah is No. 6, Michigan is No. 7, Auburn at No. 8, Georgia at No. 9 and California is No. 10.
With five of its eight teams in the top 10, the SEC can once again boast that all of its teams have been included in the top 25. The SEC puts a total of eight teams on the floor, and in addition to the above-mentioned teams, Arkansas comes in at No. 17, Missouri at 19 and Kentucky is No. 21 to begin the season.
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| Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
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DL Isaiah Buggs Commits To Alabama
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| Isaiah Buggs Twitter Photo |
The 6' 5", 280-pound Buggs is ranked as a four-star No. 4 overall junior college recruit according to the 247Sports composite. He is credited with 75 tackles this season, including 10 for loss, 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups.
Buggs is expected to sign his national letter of intent this afternoon enroll at UA on January 8th.
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2017 UA Baseball Tickets Now On Sale
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| Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
Alabama baseball averaged 4,608 in the inaugural season of Sewell-Thomas Stadium, the the program's highest average attendance since 2004. The Crimson Tide ranked 10th nationally in average attendance and 12th in overall attendance across all 300 college baseball programs.
Head baseball coach Greg Goff's first season with the Crimson Tide begins on February 17th as Alabama hosts Presbyterian College for the 2017 season opener as part of a three-game series with the Blue Hose. Then three games with Presbyterian begins a home-stand of 21 consecutive games at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, including non-conference series with Oral Roberts (February 24-26), ULM (March 3-5) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (March 9-12). The Tide also competes in single matchups with Southern Miss (February 21st), Jacksonville State (February 28th), Troy (March 7th), Eastern Illinois (March 14th) and Samford (March 15th). Bama will then close out the home-stand with the start of Southeastern Conference action with the Missouri Tigers from March 17-19.
Alabama will then be on the road for the next five games before returning back home to The Joe to host the Arkansas Razorbacks from March 31-April 2. Then the Tide plays a five-game homestand that starts with a solo contest against in-state UAB on April 11th and follows that up with a three-game series with Texas A&M (April 13-15) and a midweek matchup with Alcorn State on April 18th.
On April 25th, Bama will take on Jacksonville State at home before hosting the LSU Tigers from April 27-29. The home stand will then conclude with four games in May, starting with a midweek contest with Grambling on May 10th. Just two days later the Tide will close out its home schedule with the Florida Gators from May 12-14.
Tide Pride and public tickets start at $190 for the season, while faculty/staff seating (limit of four per person) is $152. A full season package for seniors (65-plus) are $95 (limit of four per person). Premium seating options are also available at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, including the .525 Club and Home Plate Club areas. Both clubs allow fans a seat in the stands while also offering access to a hospitality area that features couches, tables to eat at and flat-screen televisions, along with complementary food and beverage. Those who purchase tickets to either of the premium seating clubs are also given parking passes to all home games.
Fans wishing to purchase their season tickets may be purchased by going to RollTide.com or in-person at the Alabama Athletics Ticket Office located inside Coleman Coliseum. For more information or to get tickets over the phone, interested parties can call the ticket off at (205) 348-BAMA.
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Lane Kiffin Officially Named Head Coach At FAU
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| FAU Photo & Graphics |
Kiffin previously served as head coach for the Oakland
Raiders (2007-08) before moving back to the college level to coach the Tennessee Volunteers (2009) and Southern California (2010-13).
Kiffin will make $950,000 per year over five years
with a $2.5 million buyout after his first year, according to Fauowlacess.com. The buyout will
decrease $500,000 per year. The salary will come as a pay cut to Kiffin,
who received a raise to a prorated $1.4 million this season at Alabama.
He then spoke of how both the university and himself are committed to to winning and working together. He spoke of the quality of the players, both at FAU and in state of Florida from which to recruit. He said it would be about working every day to bring a championship to FAU.
Kiffin said, " The process starts today here at Florida Atlantic." He then spoke of how he had been at a place for the past few years that is "all about the process," and that he was bringing that to FAU.
The new FAU head coach then complimented his mentor and head coach at the University of Alabama, Nick Saban. Kiffin spoke of how Saban had been great during this entire process of coaching interviews and meetings.
He then spoke of maturing, and learning...that perhaps he had been a little young as a head coach before and he'd know better now how to handle things that come up.
Kiffin did say how important it was for him to get back to Alabama to winning another national championship. "We were fortunate to win three SEC championships in a row, now we are going to try to win another championship," Kiffin said. "That will be the focus, and in the other time, my focus will be on recruiting over the phone and also hiring a staff.
"On
that note, with Coach Saban, I just felt it was very important, as
grateful as we are for the opportunity, it was very important to finish
what we started there."
He also said he was very happy at Alabama, but this position offered him a unique opportunity...and that there were a lot of things attractive to him about this job.
Kiffin said he wanted to accomplish something at FAU that they've never accomplished before. He has his sights set high.
Kiffin also said that it was possible that other members of Alabama's staff could be joining him at FAU in "enhanced roles."
So the era of Lane Kiffin is about to end at the University of Alabama and a new one begin for Florida Atlantic University.
Good luck, Lane. God speed.
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Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach To Leave Bama
Joining Lane Kiffin At FAU
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| Wilson Love Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
It appears that Alabama offensive coordinator and new FAU head coach Lane Kiffin has made his first head coaching hire for the Owls. Former Alabama defensive tackle and current assistant
strength and conditioning coach Wilson Love will reportedly join Kiffin at FAU, according to OwlAccess.com.Reportedly the Mountain Brook (Alabama) High School graduate traveled with Kiffin to FAU for his introductory press conference on Tuesday. Kiffin, in his press conference, said that it "is definitely a possibility" he would add more coaches from Alabama when he was asked. He further said it was "definitely an option."
Kiffin and Love returned to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday night in order to be present for the Wednesday 7:30 a.m. CT staff meeting.
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Celebrity Birthdays
Michael Owen, Soccer player, 37
Sam Burgess, Rugby player, 28
Vanessa Hudgens, Pop singer, 28
Alex Gaskarth, Rock Singer, 29
Tori Kelly, Pop singer, 24
Mike Fuentes, Drummer, 32
Miranda Hart, Actress, 44
Jackson Rathbone, Actor, 32
Joshua Rush, Actor, 15
Michael Murphy, Actor, 20
Divyanka Tripathi, Actress, 32
Sophi Monk, Pop singer, 37
Ryan Carter, Actor, 24
James Fletcher, Actor, 26
KaDee Strickland, Actress, 41
