Alabama

What does future hold for Alabama athletics? What to know at this critical juncture

Published

2 years ago

June 6, 2024

What does future hold for Alabama athletics? What to know at this critical juncture

Greg Byrne didn’t wait to watch the game until he reached a TV. He wanted to make sure he didn’t miss any of the action.

SEC spring meetings had just ended in Miramar Beach, Florida, and the Alabama athletics director held his tablet as he walked out of the conference room. He had the broadcast rolling of Alabama softball’s game against UCLA in the Women’s College World Series on May 30. Byrne locked into the game even as he walked. So much so that he even stopped and stood in the resort hallway to finish the inning, knowing he was about to lose Wifi connection if he walked too far.

“I’m as excited to go to Oklahoma City with our softball team as getting to go to the College Football Playoff,” Byrne told The Tuscaloosa News the day prior. “Those kids have worked hard.”

Football and men’s basketball are the two revenue-producing sports at UA, but Byrne takes pride in his department supporting 21 sports. He talks frequently about his affinity for all of them. Also, he often stresses how special the Olympic sports model is in collegiate athletics.

There’s an extra weight to that conversation these days, though. College sports sits at a critical juncture, and as part of that, the exact future for non-revenue sports remains unclear. Far more questions exist than answers. In May, the NCAA and the Power Five conferences agreed to a a historic settlement that, if finalized, will give schools the ability to share revenue with college athletes. That number is expected to be at least $20 million to start, per USA TODAY Sports.

That new line item on the budget could have all sorts of ripple effects.

“This is a big deal,” Byrne said. “And I think we just have to recognize we don’t have all the answers yet and we have to be very thoughtful of how we decide to move forward with the new model and how that impacts our department across the board.”

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How Greg Byrne has been preparing for changes in college athletics

The NCAA and Power Five conferences approved the settlement terms late last month, but Byrne didn’t start preparing folks in Tuscaloosa then.

Rewind to a year ago; that’s when Byrne started discussing the House v. NCAA case with his staff.

“Just planting seeds that things were changing,” Byrne said.

That included what Byrne called a “heart-to-heart” discussion with all of the head coaches in the fall. He broke down where things stood, the potential of the House litigation and its impact. Then he talked with the entire department.

“I’ve always found, when things are going to change and change dramatically, that first conversation you have with people in your department shouldn’t be after everything is all said and done,” Byrne said. “It needs to be an educational process. We’ve been doing that, and part of that is how you manage your resources going forward.”

Will Alabama have to cut sports?

It’s the question that looms largest for all athletics departments with significant change incoming. To make the new expenses fit, will some sports that don’t produce revenue have to go?

“I would hope we wouldn’t have to do that,” Byrne said.

He added that’s the last things he wants to do.

“Our Olympic-model sports program is one of the cool things in our country,” Byrne said. “But it also is very, very costly. That’s not an Alabama comment. That’s across the board in what we do. I’m proud of how we support our Olympic sports.”

What’s the future of Yea Alabama and NIL collectives?

Simply put, it’s unclear. As is the case with most things until the settlement is finalized. And even then, plenty will have to be hammered out.

Once revenue sharing begins, the role of collectives could change. The bigger unknown is the extent of the change. Could collectives go in-house as well? Might collectives focus solely on facilitating “true NIL” deals? Will collectives cease to exist? Or is there another role for them? It’s unclear at this juncture.

“If anybody tells you they know exactly what is going to come of their collectives, they’re a lot smarter than I am,” Byrne said.

Yea Alabama has operated as UA’s official NIL entity going back to February 2023. Byrne praised Yea Alabama and how it has “done a really good job of representing our student athletes.” Having a strong collective is key to compete in today’s college athletics. Maybe it won’t be required down the road, but that change hasn’t happened just yet.

“Until we understand what the new model looks like, we need to continue to stay competitive from a Yea Alabama standpoint,” Byrne said. “And we’ve made really good strides there.”

Will CFP revenue solve the new expense problem?

Increased revenue from the expanded College Football Playoff will help bring in more income for each SEC school. Annual distribution from the CFP is set to increase to about $23 million for Alabama and each SEC school, per Yahoo! Sports. That’s going to help, but more will likely be needed with increasing expenses.

“It’s not the only solution,” Byrne said. “It’s not the silver bullet to me.”

Strategic decisions around budgeting will need to be made. One example that has already occurred: Byrne said Alabama athletics has already reduced some personnel, just by choosing not to fill some vacant positions.

“We’re trying to find efficiencies on a regular basis,” Byrne said. “But our costs continue to escalate, and it’s not just this line item.”

Byrne’s title is director of athletics, but the approaching era of college athletics will call on him to be a CEO more than ever. For Alabama athletics to continue to thrive, it’s vital Byrne answers.

“We all have a responsibility,” Byrne said. “As much as people think there’s unlimited money, there’s not. You have to make financial decisions.”

Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men’s basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter

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Alabama

Alabama Basketball Acquires Third Player from Transfer Portal

Published

4 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

Alabama Basketball Acquires Third Player from Transfer Portal

Alabama basketball has landed former NC State Cole Cloer from the transfer portal, per Yea Alabama, UA’s NIL collective.

The small forward is the Crimson Tide’s third transfer portal addition, joining Kentucky big Brandon Garrison and Mississippi State forward Jamarion Davis-Fleming.

Cloer redshirted as an early enrollee with the Wolfpack this season. That said, he will have a full four years of eligibility when he arrives in Alabama.

The 6-foot-8, 190-pounder is a member of the 2026 recruiting class. The 4-star recruit attended IMG Academy and is ranked as the No. 59 overall prospect, the No. 23 small forward and the No. 8 player in the state of Florida, per On3.

Prior to his time at IMG Academy, Cloer spent his junior year at Caldwell Academy in Greensboro, N.C., where he led the Eagles to the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 2A state title. Cloer averaged 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Excluding NC State, Alabama was one of four schools that Cloer took official visits to, as he also checked out Florida, UConn and Arkansas. Cloer came to Tuscaloosa as a recruit on Sept. 16, per 247 Sports.

Early enrollees aren’t very common in college basketball, so why did Cloer transfer out ahead of his freshman campaign?

“I committed to NC State in October and have been preparing with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming season,” Cloer wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) on April 3. “With the news of coach Wade’s departure, I have decided to enter the transfer portal. Thank you to the City of Raleigh and the entire NC State community for welcoming me with open arms. I love North Carolina and Wolfpack Nation!”

Cloer is referring to former NC State head coach Will Wade leaving and taking the LSU position. However, when Cloer signed with NC State last November, here’s what Wade said about him:

“Cole is an exciting pickup for us,” Wade said in a press release. “It was a great recruitment and really excited that Cole is running with the Pack. He is a great, great player. He’s somebody that’s going to be able to step in and make an immediate impact for us.

“He can really shoot the ball. He’s got great height, he’s got great length and really shoots the ball at a high, high level. He’s somebody that does a really good job getting his shot off, has a quick trigger and every time he shoots it you think it is going in.

“He’s continued to expand his game, being able to beat guys off the bounce, does a great job getting on the offensive glass. He’s a plus-defender because of his length and athleticism and being able to switch.

“He’s really just a great fit for us all around. It’s a bonus that he’s right up the road and grew up an NC State fan, but we would have recruited him if he was anywhere in the country. We’re thrilled he’ll be with us and know he’s ready to go and help us from day one.”

Alabama now has 13 scholarship players for the 2026-27 season, meaning it only has two more spots available to fill.

The transfer portal opened on April 7, the day after the National Championship, and will close on April 21. BamaCentral is keeping track of the Crimson Tide’s outgoing and incoming players and coaches right here ahead of next season.

For those eyeing the next level, the NCAA’s early entry withdrawal deadline for the 2026 NBA Draft is May 27 at 10:59 p.m. CT.

Alabama Players Who Could Still Return, Transfer or Enter NBA Draft

G Aden Holloway (would be a senior)
G Davion Hannah (would be a sophomore *pending redshirt*)
G Preston Murphy Jr. (would be a senior)
F Amari Allen (would be a sophomore)
F London Jemison (would be a sophomore)
F Keitenn Bristow (would be a junior *pending redshirt*)
C Collins Onyejiaka (would be a sophomore *pending redshirt*)

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Alabama

Former Alabama player allegedly impersonated Michael Penix, Xavier McKinney, David Njoku in loan scam

Published

17 hours ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

Former Alabama player allegedly impersonated Michael Penix, Xavier McKinney, David Njoku in loan scam

If you think a story about a cabinet secretary cutting the penis off of a dead raccoon is the craziest thing you’ll hear all day, think again.

Actually, it’s hard to top the raccoon penis thing.

In any event, Daniel Kaplan recently reported for the Guardian on the case of Luther Davis. He’s a former member of the Alabama football team. More recently, he allegedly scammed lenders out of nearly $20 million, in part by impersonating a trio of NFL players: Michael Penix Jr., Xavier McKinney, and David Njoku.

Per the report, Davis plans to plead guilty later this month on charges based on allegations that he “obtained at least thirteen fraudulent loans totaling more than $19,845,000.” Of the amount, $11.6 million was obtained by pretending to be Penix, McKinney, and Njoku.

Davis allegedly worked with CJ Evins to secure the loans. Evins also plans to plead guilty.

As Kaplan explains it, the scheme began with the registration in Georgia of fake companies with names closely related to the players’ names or initials. Then, bank accounts and fraudulent email accounts were opened. Next, Davis and Evins secured fake identification documents for the players. At that point, they contacted loan brokers, providing fabricated documents.

Then came the kicker — Davis would attend the loan closings disguised as the player. The effort included makeup, wigs, and (when Davis was impersonating Penix) a durag.

The only connection by the players to the scam is that they had their identities stolen.

The fake loan obtained in McKinney’s name became the subject of civil litigation between the lender and the broker. A trial is set for July 2026.

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Alabama

Cardinals hosted Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor on top 30 visit, per report – Arizona Sports

Published

1 day ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

Cardinals hosted Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor on top 30 visit, per report – Arizona Sports

The Arizona Cardinals hosted Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor for a top 30 visit on Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport adds Proctor has met with the Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

The 6-foot-7, 352-pound Proctor is coming off his third and final season at Alabama, appearing in 15 games for the Crimson Tide.

He was impressive these past two seasons, allowing just five sacks and seven quarterback hits in 26 games played, per Pro Football Focus. For his efforts, he was named co-winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which is given to the SEC’s top offensive lineman. Proctor was also a finalist for the Lombardi Award, which is handed down to the nation’s top lineman.

At the NFL Draft Combine, he ran a 5.21-second 40-yard dash and posted a 32.5-inch vertical and 25 bench press reps.

Proctor is getting a lot of late first-round love from draft analysts this offseason. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has the tackle heading to the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 23 overall pick in his seven-round mock draft published Wednesday.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., meanwhile, has Proctor going as high as No. 12 to the Cleveland Browns following a trade with the Dallas Cowboys.