MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — Change seems to occur daily in college athletics these days, and new questions frequently arise. There's at least one that persists, though, in Tuscaloosa.

What's the latest with the Alabama basketball arena?

Ever since athletics director Greg Byrne and the Crimson Tide announced plans for a new arena in February 2022, the potential of moving on from Coleman Coliseum has loomed. But curveballs and obstacles have popped up, whether it be inflation or now, the historic House settlement of which the power conferences and the NCAA approved the terms.

The proposed terms would allow schools to share a certain amount of revenue with athletes, and schools would have their annual distributions from the NCAA reduced. That means a reduction in funds coming in and an increase of funds going out to athletes. That's expected to create a crunch on budgets for college athletics across the country.

So, what does that mean for the future of the new arena for Alabama basketball?

"I think we have a responsibility to, until we know what we're working with, be fiscally responsible with our resources," Byrne told The Tuscaloosa News at SEC spring meetings. "It's still a need. We've had people donate and give us nice gifts for it. We don't want to lose that. And we know Coleman (Coliseum) is not getting any younger. It still needs to be addressed. But I think being slow and steady right now is probably valuable."

Is there a pause in place on moving forward with the new arena? Or what's the timeline for the new arena?

"We're continuing to raise money," Byrne answered. "There's a need. We're just trying to balance that with the challenging environment we're in."

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When the new arena was announced in February 2022, the proposed cost was about $183 million. A year later, Byrne said the cost jumped to $250 million.

If the proposed terms in the House settlement are approved, the revenue number schools can share with athletes annually is expected to be at least $20 million, per USA TODAY Sports. That's no small amount of money, even for major college athletics departments such as Alabama.

Byrne always jokes he hasn't discovered any gold bars under Coleman Coliseum. Now more than ever, it would be nice to have a few handy with the budget puzzle upcoming, especially when trying to build a new arena in the middle of it.

"Still haven't found (the gold bars)," Byrne joked. "We're still looking for them."

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.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball arena update: Latest from Greg Byrne