Before the end of the interview arrived for Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne, of course the new Alabama basketball arena had to be brought up.

While sitting with "the Next Round" on Wednesday, Byrne said he didn't have anything to announce but he did comment on the latest with the situation.

"I will tell you, our fundraising staff continues to do a really good job," Byrne said. "I know sometimes people think $100 million dollars is pocket change."

The University of Alabama originally announced plans for a new arena in February 2022, with a proposed cost of $183 million. By that summer, Byrne told The Tuscaloosa News costs had skyrocketed. Byrne said in February 2023 that the cost had increased to about $250 million.

All in all, it's led to a longer process than anticipated. Meanwhile, Coleman Coliseum has been a place where Nate Oats and the Alabama basketball team continue to see sustained success. The Crimson Tide has lost one game there the past two seasons.

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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: New arena: Latest from Alabama AD Greg Byrne at end of February