Alabama
Alabama basketball offense has been historically great this season
Happy Friday, everyone. The softball team hosts the annual “Easton Bama Bash” this weekend after last weekend’s perfect start. The Gym Tide have the weekend off before competing in a quad meet at the Texas Woman’s University on Monday. The women’s basketball team hosts Auburn on Sunday.
Nate Oats’ men’s squad has a breakfast date with Texas A&M tomorrow which we will have coverage for later on. The Alabama offense has been historically great this season.
Alabama’s adjusted offensive efficiency number as it stands during the Crimson Tide’s bye week is 126.2, the No. 1 offense in the country.
What’s more, that number ranks as the fifth-highest offensive efficiency in the history of KenPom. That means in the past 25 years, only four other offenses in college basketball have been more efficient than Alabama in 2024.
2015 Wisconsin – 129.0
2018 Villanova – 127.8
1999 Duke – 127.7
2021 Gonzaga – 126.4
2024 Alabama – 126.2
All four of those above this Alabama team reached the national championship game, and that Villanova squad cut down the nets.
The basketball success we have enjoyed under Nate Oats comes with the constant speculation that he may leave us for a historically great basketball program.
Oats’ contract states his buyout is set at $12 million if he leaves before March 15 — which could be a major deterrent for potential suitors for his coaching services. The second season of his contract has a $10 million buyout, with the third season set at $7 million.
Oats’ buyout reduces to $1 million between 2026 and 2027 before being set at $0 for the remainder of his contract.
$12 million is a massive buyout for a basketball coach. Only six coaches in America earn $5M or more, with John Calipari leading the pack at north of $8M. Tom Izzo is second at $6.2M. Izzo is nearing retirement, though he has announced that it won’t be this season. That opening will be one to bite our fingernails over though, whenever it happens.
Byrne is going to have to give Nate another substantial raise this offseason. He’s currently the 25th highest paid coach, making $3.4M, while Auburn pays Bruce Pearl $5.6M.
The resident Vawl thinks that Alabama is going to finish middle of the pack in the SEC this season.
Alabama
Over/under: 9.5 wins
Topp’s Tip: UNDER. The schedule is brutal, the coaching staff is new, and the transfer losses were significant. Alabama fans will require a refresher course on patience.
Ryan Grubb spoke about his conversations with Austin Mack.
The new Seattle OC was asked at the press conference how difficult it was to leave behind some of the players he had coached before, particularly redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Mack, who transferred from Washington to Alabama to join his coaches.
“Austin’s unique in the sense that when I recruited Austin, talking to Brad and Lisa his parents, that he knew this was a possibility,” Grubb said. “Whether it was this year, next year, at some point, I told him that there’s a good chance that I wouldn’t get to see the end of his career. So I think honest conversations like that when you recruit kids help when transitions like this happen.”
You have to think that Alabama will be heavily involved in this one.
Sabb has played in 18 games during his time in Ann Arbor, with 14 of them occurring during the national championship 2023 season. He has recorded 28 tackles and one tackle for a loss in that time. When dropping back in coverage, Sabb has two interceptions, four pass breakups, and six passes defended.
Now, a big-named player is on the open market. Sabb never got the opportunity to play in a full-time starting role with the Wolverines. You would have to think playing time will be a top priority when talking to schools.
Sabb played high school football at Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 87 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
An experienced safety is obviously something that we could use in Tuscaloosa, and I’d expect Courtney Morgan and company to push hard for him. As luck would have it, Babb has a younger brother named Xavier who just picked up an offer from Alabama.
Last, Auburn is paying people way too much not to coach.
One place that Auburn spent significantly more money was on severance. A byproduct of firing two football coaches, the Tigers reported $19.9 million in severance expenses, with $18.6 million of that coming from football alone, while Alabama spent $998,286 department-wide.
Alabama brought in more ticket sales revenue, reporting $41.9 million all told in that category. Auburn collected $32.4 million.
The Crimson Tide also had more media rights income, $55.6 million, compared to $48 million for the Tigers. Auburn didn’t bring in any football bowl revenue for the fiscal year, while Alabama collected $2 million for its win in the Sugar Bowl.
You hate to see it.
That’s about it for today. Have a great weekend.
Roll Tide.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – The Alabama Wildlife Federation and Hyundai Motor Manufacturing of Alabama are building a new interactive Gopher Tortoise Habitat Display to give Alabamians a chance to immerse themselves in the state’s longleaf pine ecosystem.
The exhibit, which is being funded by a $50,000 HMMA investment, will be located in the NaturePlex at the Alabama Nature Center.
The exhibit spotlights the gopher tortoise as a keystone species in Alabama, showing how its burrows shelter other wildlife.
It will feature interactive, age-appropriate elements to teach habitat conservation and responsible stewardship of Alabama’s natural resources.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
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Copyright 2026 WSFA. All rights reserved.
With students and families on campus this weekend for spring 2026 graduation, here’s a rundown of University of Alabama campus history that originally published Nov. 14, 2025.
1820
● The Alabama General Assembly officially established the first public university and named it the University of the State of Alabama. By the 1860s, the school was called the University of Alabama.
1831
● Harvard graduate and Vermont native Alva Woods became the first president of the University of Alabama. First day of classes was held on April 18 with four professors and 52 students. By the end of the term there were nearly 100 students.
1841
● The President’s Mansion was built.
1860
● The Round House was built for the use of the student sentinels.
1865
● All but a few buildings — the President’s Mansion, the observatory, the Round House, the Gorgas House and a few faculty residences — were burned by Union troops.
1892
● Student William G. Little introduced his fellow UA students to the sport of football.
1893
● Anna B. Adams and Bessie Parker became the first women to enroll at the university.
1914
● The first Tutwiler Hall was built on the site of today’s Rose Administration Building. It was the first building exclusively for women.
1915
● The University of Alabama Student Government Association was founded.
1926
● The Alabama Crimson Tide football team won the Rose Bowl, becoming national champions for the first time.
1929
● Denny Chimes, funded in part by student donations, was dedicated in honor of beloved UA President George H. Denny. UA also opens Denny Stadium.
1939
● Construction on the Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library was completed.
1956
● The first Black student enrolled. Autherine Lucy attended classes for three days before being removed from campus and then expelled.
1963
● The university was officially desegregated when Vivian Malone and James Hood enrolled. Gov. George Wallace made good on a threat to “stand in the schoolhouse door” to stop them, but his actions were symbolic and did not stop their enrollment.
1975
● The on-campus football stadium is renamed Bryant-Denny Stadium to honor legendary football coach Paul W. “Bear” Bryant.
1980
● UA’s 1979 squad wins the Sugar Bowl, giving Bryant back-to-back national championships. The 1979 championship was also the sixth and final title of Bryant’s career.
2011
● On April 27, 2011, a tornado destroyed much of Tuscaloosa, and six students lost their lives.
2013
● Judy Bonner becomes the university’s first female president.
2016
● The university’s strategic plan, Advancing the Flagship, was unveiled.
2019
● The university achieved R1: Very High Research Activity status, according to the Carnegie Classification.
2020
● The COVID-19 pandemic caused spring classes to be moved online. In-person classes resumed by the fall semester.
● UA wins its 18th national championship in football.
2022
Julia Tutwiler Hall, the 13-story dorm near Bryant-Denny Stadium, was demolished just after 7 a.m. on July 4. UA built a new Tutwiler Hall, just a few yards to the west of the old Tut.
2024
● The Catherine and Pettus Randall Welcome Center, an immersive and engaging visitor center named in honor of longtime University supporters, opened in the restored and reimagined historic Bryce Main.
● The football arena is renamed Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium to honor retired coach Nick Saban. Saban earned six national championships during his 17-year career at the Capstone.
2025
● Peter Mohler is hired to become UA’s 30th president.
● UA sets a new enrollment record by welcoming 42,360 students in the fall.
Sources: The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa News files
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Vanderbilt lost 8-5 in the series finale at No. 24 Alabama on Saturday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
After falling behind early, the Commodores clawed their way back but the home side was able to hold on for the win.
Alabama used four hits, including a three-run homer, to build a 5-0 lead in the first inning.
Colin Barczi got Vanderbilt right back in the game in the top of the second with a three-run blast of his own. Braden Holcomb led off the frame with a single and stole second. Rustan Rigdon was hit by a pitch with two outs and Barczi launched his 10th home run of the season to make it 5-3.
Holcomb picked up his second hit of the day in the top of the third. After Mike Mancini worked a walk and stole second, Holcomb lined a single up the middle to bring home Mancini and pull the Commodores to within a run.
Alabama worked a pair of walks to start off the bottom of the fourth and both runners came around to score as the Crimson Tide went ahead 7-4.
Korbin Reynolds roped a double off the wall to lead off the top of the seventh. Reynolds moved up to third on a passed ball before touching home on a sac fly by Ryker Waite to cut Alabama’s lead back down to two.
Luke Guth came on to pitch with two on and nobody out in the seventh. Catcher’s interference loaded the bases but Guth escaped the jam to keep the deficit at two.
The Crimson Tide extended their lead to three with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, going in front 8-5.
Vanderbilt returns home to host Louisville in the Battle of the Barrel on Tuesday at Hawkins Field.
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