Your latest Crimson Tide news and notes.
Happy Friday, everyone. It will be “neon night” at Coleman Coliseum this evening, as the Gym Tide host Oregon State at 6:30pm. You can watch some great athletes and receive a free glow-in-the-dark T-shirt if such a thing suits your fancy, or stream it on SEC Network Plus.
Essence Cody is back at full strength and it showed last night, as the Alabama women thumped Georgia in Athens.
Essence Cody scored 16 points and Ta’Mia Scott added 13 for No. 24 Alabama in a 68-53 win over No. 23 Georgia on Thursday night.
Cody, who put up 10 points in the first half, shot 6 for 7 from the field and a perfect 4 for 4 from the free throw line. Karly Weathers scored 11 points, eight rebounds and two steals and blocks each. Jessica Timmons added 10 points and eight rebounds for Alabama (19-3, 5-3 Southeastern Conference).
Mia Woolfolk scored 13 points for the Bulldogs (18-4, 4-4) before fouling out. Rylie Theuerkauf added 11. Dani Carnegie, who leads Georgia in scoring with a 19.2 points per game, was held to only six points.
The two losses to Auburn and Tennessee while Cody was injured certainly hurt. At 5-3, the ladies are tied for 7th in the always murderous SEC with eight games to play. Six of those will be against opponents that are currently ranked, starting with a road trip to 6th-ranked LSU on Sunday.
If you would like a little optimism headed into the weekend, three incoming Alabama freshmen made this ESPN list of 14 most college ready 2026 prospects.
With Jam Miller moving on, Alabama’s running back depth chart is wide open and Crowell is built to take advantage. The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder brings a physical, downhill running style and a proven track record of production after reclassifying from the 2027 class. He rushed for 2,632 yards and 35 touchdowns in his final season, earning Alabama Mr. Football and Gatorade Player of the Year honors. Crowell racks up yards after contact with his advanced blend of power and balance. After the Tide struggled at times on the ground in 2025, Crowell’s well-rounded skill set and solid build will allow him to carry a big load and earn snaps quickly. He’ll get a leg up as an early enrollee this spring and could follow a similar trajectory as Ohio State true freshman Bo Jackson.
Alabama fans are thirsty for that gamebreaker at running back. The other two mentioned are defensive backs Jireh Edwards and Zyan Gibson, who should play understudy roles before slotting into holes that will be vacated by Zabien Brown and Bray Hubbard in 2027.
Nick and Terry Saban visited the governor yesterday, to discuss the $100M Saban Center that will open in Tuscaloosa next year.
“They have always taken the time and energy to invest in young people and their futures,” Ivey said. “I look forward to Alabama students soon immersing themselves in STEM education and the arts at the Saban Center.“
According to its website, the Saban Center will be an interactive learning hub based in Tuscaloosa providing arts and STEM education.
The center is currently under construction after breaking ground in August 2025 and is expected to open in 2027.
The Sabans also visited the Alabama State House and spoke to lawmakers there regarding the Saban Center.
What a legacy that family is going to leave.
Charles Bediako has a new court date.
If things go awry in Tuscaloosa Circuit Court for Alabama basketball’s Charles Bediako, his eligibility could disappear the day before one of the most important games of the Crimson Tide’s season. Bediako’s court hearing on a temporary injunction in his NCAA eligibility lawsuit is set for Feb. 6, according to court documents obtained by AL.com.
Notably, Alabama plays Auburn on the Plains Feb. 7. The scheduling means that Bediako will be eligibility for Alabama’s Sunday trip to Florida, and Wednesday tilt with Texas A&M at Coleman Coliseum.
Bediako is seeking temporary and permanent injunctive relief that would allow him to play the rest of the season for Alabama. The NCAA has said Bediako is not eligible given that he signed a two-way NBA contract after leaving the Crimson Tide for the 2023 NBA Draft.
Auburn fans have been the most tilted about Chuck’s return, so February 6 is going to be a very tense time for them. Chuck will play the next two games, Sunday at Florida and then Wednesday vs Texas A&M.
ESPN currently projects Nate Oats’ squad as a fringe Sweet 16 contender.
Vanderbilt had drawn comparisons to Indiana football as an underdog that won at an unexpected rate, and with Tyler Tanner — who wasn’t ranked as a high school recruit by ESPN — evolving into a potential first-round NBA draft pick. But the Commodores, with the worst SEC defense inside the arc, might not have the defensive chops to advance past the Sweet 16 despite having the talent to get there. You could say the same for first-year coach Ryan Odom Virginia or Labaron Philon Jr. (22.2 PPG) and Alabama’s high-powered offense.
This may change if Bediako is allowed to play the rest of the season and they can find some way to stay healthy.
Last, it sounds like Lou Holtz is in his last days.
According to Kyle Sutherland of HawgBeat, former Arkansas and Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz has entered hospice care.
Holtz, 89, spent 44 seasons on college and pro football sidelines, with Arkansas, Notre Dame and lastly South Carolina in 2004. Known for his colorful personality and feisty attitude on the sidelines, Holtz’s career in college football saw him lift programs like William & Mary, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, and South Carolina, out of low points and bring success to each place.
Godspeed, Lou.
That’s about it for today. Have a great weekend.
Roll Tide.
Category: General Sports
