Hurricane Ida pushes Tulane athletes to Hoover, Birmingham

The remnants of Hurricane Ida didn’t really hit central Alabama, but the city of Hoover has felt some of the impact of the storm.

Visitors to the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex over the next few weeks may notice a lot of faces from Louisiana.

Three of the athletic teams from Tulane University have started practicing at the Finley Center after evacuating from New Orleans and plan to stay two to three more weeks, said Reid Harrison, the assistant director of facilities and event management for Tulane’s athletics department.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams and volleyball team have been making use of the 155,000-square-foot Finley Center since Tuesday because the Tulane campus is currently vacated due to wind damage and power and internet outages caused by the storm.

E. J. Brophy, general manager for the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, said that, as the former athletic director for the University of Alabama at Huntsville and University of West Alabama, he certainly understood the plight of the Tulane athletics department and was glad to help.

“We just want to lend a helping hand to some folks that need it,” Brophy said. “We’re hoping to help them get back on track.”

With 83,000 square feet of continuous space, the Finley Center can be divided into 11 full-size basketball courts or 17 full-size volleyball courts. So there is plenty of space for the Tulane teams, Brophy said.

Also, the practice schedules of the Tulane teams actually fit very well with the Finley Center’s schedule, he said. The Tulane teams practice mostly in the mornings and early afternoon, and the recreation volleyball teams and Alabama Performance Volleyball Club usually are there late afternoons and evenings, he said.

A men’s fall basketball league plays on Sundays, and the Tulane teams take a break on Sundays, he said.

Tulane greatly appreciates the city of Hoover opening up the Finley Center for its teams, Harrison said. It has been especially nice that the Tulane teams have been able to do weight workouts at the D1 training center in the Finley Center as well, he said.

The Tulane basketball and volleyball teams are staying at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, along with Tulane’s football, cross country, golf, bowling and swim and dive teams, Harrison said.

At one point, there were close to 200 Tulane athletes staying in Birmingham, but those whose sports are out of season have gone elsewhere, he said.

Coming to Birmingham is part of the athletics department’s evacuation plan, he said. While classes are shut down, the athletic teams continue practicing and competing.

The football team has been practicing at Legion Field and, if it rains, at the University of Alabama’s indoor facility, Harrison said.

The golf team has been playing at Heatherwood Golf and Country Club, North River Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa, Shoal Creek Country Club and the University of Alabama’s golf practice facility, he said. The bowling team has been practicing at Vestavia Bowl, and the swim and dive teams have been at Heatherwood Golf and Country Club and the Birmingham Crossplex.

“Everyone has enjoyed their time here as much as they could,” Harrison said. There are plenty of places to eat, and some of the athletes have enjoyed going to Birmingham Barons games this week, he said.

Power has been fully restored at Tulane University campuses, but campus facilities are still being assessed and repaired for the safe return of students, university President Michael Fitts said in a letter posted Thursday on the university’s website. Internet service should be returned to the Orleans Parrish no later than the end of this week or early next week, Fitts wrote.

Tulane is not currently having classes, but online instruction is expected to start Sept. 13, and in-person classes will resume Sept. 27, he said.