ALABAMA AQUATICS CENTER

One of the best training facilities in the nation, the Alabama Aquatic Center, home of the Crimson Tide men's and women's swimming and diving programs, underwent a $20+ million renewal and renovation in 2019 with its Grand Reopening coming on Jan. 30, 2020.

The original natatorium, which opened in 1959, was converted into a 25-yard by 25-meter outdoor pool, complete with 1- and 3-meter springboards. The original footprint also includes a new team suite that houses locker rooms for both the men's and women's teams as well as a nutrition station, team meeting room, dryland facility, a team lounge and coaches' offices and conference room.

The Don Gambril Olympic Pool, which opened in 1980, was also completely renovated, and now has new bleachers and roll up doors on the east side of the facility that open out to a dryland training area. The diving area was also bolstered inside, with the Tide now having platforms from 1- to 10-meter, as well as two 1- and 3-meter springboards. An athletic training room was added just off the deck of the Gambril Olympic Pool, which among other amenities includes hot and cold therapy tubs.

The new Alabama Aquatic Center gives the Crimson Tide one of the nation's top facilities.

THE POOL
The Aquatic Center's main competition pool is 25 yards by 50 meters and is 6.5 feet deep at its shallowest point, 18 feet at its deepest. When set up for long course competition, the pool boasts eight nine-foot wide lanes. When configured for short course, the pool can accommodate up to 17 nine-foot wide lanes. The main pool has four diving boards - two 1-meter and two 3-meter - and a 5- and 10-meter platform. In addition to the main competition course, the Aquatic Center has an eight lane, 25-yard pool. The Aquatic Center also contains a complete weight room, dry land training areas and meeting rooms, all utilized by the Alabama swimmers in their training.

SCOREBOARD, TIMING, JUDGING
An electronic timing system determines elapsed time, order of finish and lap splits for each lane to .001 second, which is transmitted to a large display scoreboard. Judges' stations at the diving pool also compute and transmit scoring to the display.

SPECTATOR SEATING
The main competition venue seats 1,500, every seat of which is often taken during invitational and championship swimming and diving meets.

ALABAMA SWIMMING & DIVING HALL OF FAME
In 2002, the lobby of the Aquatic Center was converted into a Hall of Fame which not only houses the University of Alabama Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame but also mementos and informational displays of Alabama's past and present.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Transportation will be provided to and from the Birmingham International Airport. Please email all flight information to Us Here. Transportation will be provided to and from the Birmingham International Airport for a charge of $40 each way ($80 round trip).

DIRECTIONS TO THE FACILITY
From Interstate 20/59 take Exit 73 on Highway 82 East (McFarland Boulevard). Continue on to the University Blvd. exit and turn right on to University Blvd. Continue on University Blvd. and immediately get in the left lane on to Paul W. Bryant Drive. Go past DCH Hospital on the left and into the University of Alabama campus. The Alabama Aquatic Center is located on the left at the intersection of Bryant Drive and Hackberry Street directly across the street from Regions Bank. The street address of the Alabama Aquatic Center is 415 Bryant Dr., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.