The Crimson Tide are on top of the college basketball world — ranked number one in the country, in fact — and they’ve got a really expensive cheeseburger to prove it.

But is any burger worth $16?

Ask yourself that before you buy the plain patty stuffed into foil packaging inside Coleman Coliseum at the next Bama basketball game you catch in Tuscaloosa.

READ: How much do concessions cost at an Alabama basketball game? Hint: It’s a lot

And yes, you read the price right: Before tax, you’ll see the cheeseburger listed at $14.49 before it rings up as $15.94 when you fork over the money as you hurry back to see the next Brandon Miller highlight.

Coleman’s concession offerings are generally pricy, and this burger doesn’t even rank as the most expensive menu item: That honor belongs to a $15.49 chicken quesadilla. In fact, most classic entrées at Coleman Coliseum run about $15, including the cheeseburger, quesadilla, chicken tenders, buffalo chicken nachos, cheese fries and much more.

But I zeroed in on the classic cheeseburger. Why? Because where else will you find a burger at that price? For context, it costs more than the double cheeseburger at Five restaurant — arguably the nicest restaurant in Tuscaloosa — and that burger comes with fries.

It costs more than the most expensive options at places like Hooligans and Five Guys. This cheeseburger costs more than even Rama Jama’s National Champ Burger — which comes with 18 ounces of beef to celebrate the Alabama Crimson Tide football team’s 18 claimed national titles.

The Avenue Pub’s popular bacon burger, one of the only burgers that costs more than one at an Alabama game, at least comes with a choice of side for $18. Same for Chez Fonfon in Birmingham, whose burger (with fries) also costs $18.

So this must be some burger, right? Keep in mind it doesn’t come with fries. So with that price tag and the lack of a side, it might just be the most expensive burger in Tuscaloosa.

One more price point: Alabama concessions prices can be as much as double those at in-state rival Auburn for similar items. In this case, the cheeseburger costs just $7 compared to Alabama’s $14.49.

OK, so what about the Alabama cheeseburger?

For nearly $16, you get a cheeseburger wrapped in foil. No fries, lettuce, tomato — a burger and cheese inside a bun, in a foil container. You can add condiments with packets found at the concession counter.

The burger I bought at the Crimson Grill station before the Florida game was fresh — nice and hot, still steaming when I pulled it from the foil bag. I opened the top bun, and it was plain. I flipped it over and there was the melted white American cheese on the bottom of the patty. I didn’t add any condiments because I wanted to enjoy exactly what $15.94 bought me, from the counter to my hands.

First bite: This thing is way more substantial than I expected. I assumed I’d get a cafeteria burger — not that I don’t enjoy cafeteria burgers, just maybe not for this price. A sizeable beef patty with soft brioche bread will certainly fill your stomach, and depending on your level of hunger, you may even struggle to finish it.

So what is that worth? If you can’t finish the item, does that justify the high cost?

I wouldn’t know because I went ahead and scarfed it down — for posterity, let’s say — and because it was that night’s dinner. But I will say, it took me a few more minutes and bites than anticipated, at least more than the standard few chews when I wolf a cheap burger down for a meal on the move. If I’m paying $16, I’m taking my time.

As for the taste, it was fine. Not the juiciest or most flavorful — no overwhelming hints of marinade or peppery aftertaste. It was beef, American cheese and bun, though I will say the bun may have popped more than the meat, which you might consider a mark against it. A plain burger does not bother me at all. Dressing it with packaged condiments can mask what the person who prepared it initially intended unless their aim was pairing it with French’s mustard.

I took the first few bites in the Coleman concourse, then stepped into the seating area of the coliseum to gaze upon the empty floor nearly an hour before tip-off, after which the Tide would roll the Gators by 28. After taking a breath or two, I savored the final bites before crumpling the package and doing my best Mark Sears jump-shot into the nearest crimson receptacle, mimicking the feeling you get tossing cash straight into a trash can.

Look, the burger was a burger. In fact, it was good. Like I said, it’s a substantial entrée that might satisfy a hungry person under normal circumstances. But this could be the best burger I’ve had in years, and the asking price would still be insulting to fans, especially when you consider the revenue Alabama generates annually.

AL.com’s Michael Casagrande reports, after reviewing financial documents filed to the NCAA from 11 of the 13 public SEC schools, Alabama’s total income topped the league. It reported $214.4 million in revenue for the fiscal year that covered July 2021-June 2022.

So why charge a fan $16 for a cheeseburger? Or $14 for a pretzel ($20 with the side of cheese and tax)? Or $10 for a soda? What about fans buying tickets to individual games and then paying these exorbitant concession prices to create a memory for themselves and their families who love the Tide? Or what about students paying for tuition and the $4 side of beer cheese as they pack their section to the top of Coleman and attempt create one of the best home atmospheres in the SEC?

A University of Alabama athletics department statement this week said the venue’s concessionaire Levy Restaurants sets concession pricing based off concession offerings, product/overhead costs and market pricing. “Despite inflation’s impact on sports and entertainment venues across the country, a concerted effort is made to avoid annual price increases on concessions,” they said.

Every fan’s experience is his or her own. And plenty indulge in concession food with an admirable “When in Rome” attitude as they cheer on their beloved Crimson Tide. But I can’t help myself tallying the items filling the arms of moms and dads as they inch their way back to their seats, walking with $50 worth of food and drink. What they buy is their business, but I winced after washing my hands in the men’s room and tossing my paper towel into the trash only to see an untouched $14 giant pretzel at the top of the heap.

Again: Their choice. Mine? After forking over 16 bucks, back to the dollar menu.