The Crimson Tide's coaching torch will officially be passed from Nick Saban to Karen DeBoer, and a new era begins Saturday at the University of Alabama's spring football game.
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Admission to the A-Day game is free. Gates at Bryant-Denny Stadium will open at noon and kickoff is set for 3 p.m. The weather forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and temperatures during the game to be in the low 80s.
Here's what fans need to know.
This is Karen DeBoer's debut work.
The A-Day game will be Crimson Tide fans' first chance to see DeBoer in action as Alabama's head football coach.
UA hired the 49-year-old DeBoer on January 12 as the school's 28th football coach following the retirement of Nick Saban. DeBoer comes to Tuscaloosa after leading the Washington Huskies for two seasons. DeBoer led Washington to the national championship game last season, where the Huskies lost to the Michigan Wolverines.
DeBoer has a record of 104 wins and 12 losses in nine seasons as head coach. His resume includes the head coach at Fresno State University, where he served for two of his seasons, and his alma mater, the University of Sioux Falls, where he served for five of his seasons. At USF, he led the Cougars to three NAIA national titles.
Nick Saban will appear on A-Day
At 1 p.m., Saban is scheduled to address fans along with 2023 team captains Malachi Moore and Jalen Milroe at the Walk of Fame ceremony at Denny Chimes on the Quad.
Moore and Milroe will place hand and cleat marks in the concrete, following a tradition of UA football captains dating back to the 1940s. The concrete slabs are on permanent display around Denny Chimes.
Saban led Alabama to an SEC championship and a berth in the 2023 College Football Playoff. He retired on Jan. 10 after 17 seasons at UA, winning six national championships and nine SEC championships.
Soccer fans will be seeing a lot of Saban this fall. In February, ESPN announced that Saban, 72, would join Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, Lee Corso and Desmond Howard on the network's “College GameDay” desk every Saturday. did.
Why A-Day is important in Alabama
Saban's tenure was marked by large crowds at spring football games. In 2007, Saban's first A-Day game for the Crimson and his Tide fans nearly filled the stadium.
Saban believes the reaction of UA fans set the tone for his program's subsequent success.
“…I've never been happier than walking into the stadium 17 years ago for a spring game, an A-day game, with 95,000 people in the stands,” Saban said on his radio show in 2018. . October 2023. “It still gives me chills to know that there were so many dedicated people who wanted the University of Alabama to offer a quality program and something to be proud of.”
Last year's A-Day game drew 58,000 fans to Bryant-Denny Stadium.
What should I do before the A-Day game?
Champions Lane, adjacent to the Tasca statue, will open at 11am. This area will feature live music, food trucks, Alabama Trophy displays, UA athlete autograph sessions, and more.
A Walk of Fame ceremony featuring Saban and the 2023 team captains is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Denny Chimes. At 1:50 p.m., fans will gather at the Walk of Champions to welcome the 2024 team to his A-day game.
Inside the stadium, an alumni flag football game will begin at 12:30 p.m.
Other UA athletic events held during A-Day weekend include:
- The men's tennis team will play at the tennis facility Friday against Ole Miss at 4 p.m. and Sunday against Texas A&M at 1 p.m.
- Baseball vs. Texas A&M, Friday 6 p.m., Saturday 5 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m., Sewell Thomas Stadium.
- Softball vs. Texas A&M will be held at Rose Stadium on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
For more information on these games, please visit www.rolltide.com.
The Paul W. Bryant Museum, located at 300 Paul W. Bryant Drive, will be open on game days and feature memorabilia and exhibits from every era of Alabama football, from Wallace Wade to Nick Saban. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children.
On Friday, the museum will host the Bama Standard podcast from 6 to 8 p.m. On Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m., the museum will host an autograph session featuring players from the Saban era. The autograph session cost is $200 and includes autographs from all of the Arnold players scheduled to attend. Terrence Cody, Andre Smith, Blake Sims, Trent Richardson, Christian Jones, Darius Hanks, Marquise Mays, Landon Dickerson, Bo Scarborough, Will Reichard.
For more information, visit https://bryantmuseum.com or call 205-348-4668.
Contact Ken Roberts at ken.roberts@tuscaloosanews.com.
