Saban may draw record A-Day crowd

TUSCALOOSA | The groundswell has begun.

Can Crimson Tide football fans fill Bryant-Denny Stadium to capacity for the yet-to-be scheduled A-Day game?

Will all previous records for A-Day attendance be shattered with a 92,000-plus turnout for a game that will, for the first time, unveil Nick Saban’s University of Alabama football team?

If it doesn’t happen, it won’t be for lack of effort.

Since Saban’s hiring on Jan. 3, the excitement surrounding the Crimson Tide’s football program has risen to levels not seen in more than a decade.

That enthusiasm has spilled into an unofficial movement to pack as many fans as possible into Tuscaloosa for the annual spring game, a movement that has shown no sign of losing momentum.

“I see the potential," said Debbie Dooley of Atlanta. “It’s like the beginning of a new era at Alabama, and I really do believe we’ll be playing for a national championship within three years."

Dooley, a transplant from Bogalusa, La., is married to a University of Georgia graduate. They’re planning to make their first trip to an A-Day game, and are waiting for an official date so they can reserve a hotel rooms.

“Only somebody like Nick Saban could get my hubby to travel all the way to Tuscaloosa for an A-Day game," she said, noting that he was coming to “check out the competition."

The Crimson Tide takes on the Georgia Bulldogs in September.

Another Louisiana native planning on making his first A-Day game is Lawson Falls of Alexandria, La.

A lifelong Alabama fan, Lawson said he’s caught plenty of grief from Louisiana State University fans because of Saban’s ties to that school.

“It’s not a pretty site over here," he said, which is one reason he’s anxious to see Saban’s Crimson Tide in action.

“The potential of what the team is going to be able to do, with the new coach and the new staff, it’s going to give me an excuse to come over and watch them," Lawson said.

And he’s not coming alone. Along the way, he plans on stopping in Jackson, Miss., and picking up some friends.

Also coming from Mississippi is Tuscaloosa native Chris Hinkle, who now lives in Madison, Miss., with his wife and three children.

Growing up in Tuscaloosa during the 1960s and 1970s, Hinkle said he and his family routinely attended the A-Day game.

And he recalls some with big turnouts, among them A-Day games of the early 1970s after Coach Paul W. “Bear” Bryant unveiled the wishbone offense in 1971.

But mainly, Hinkle said he remembers coming with his father, which is one reason he and his children -- ages 10, 7 and 3 -- will be making a return trip this spring.

“The most prominent A-Day game for me was last year’s," Hinkle said. “It was the chance for me to take my kids, like my dad took me."

University and Tuscaloosa police officials alike are anticipating a big showing. How big, they said, is anyone’s guess.

“With all of the excitement surrounding the hiring of Coach Saban and his staff, it wouldn’t be surprising for us to see a huge crowd for A-Day," said UA Associate Athletics Director Doug Walker. “We are just getting into preparations for that weekend of activities. It promises to be a great weekend for The University and the athletic department."

Tuscaloosa Police Chief Ken Swindle, who has been involved with security and traffic control for A-Day games for more than 30 years, said the recipe of Saban, free admission and good weather could bring out masses of fans.

“I hope they do [come]," Swindle said, adding that officers will be assigned as needed. “We’ve got a beautiful stadium and beautiful town, and I hope we get that many to come here and get a look at it and the new coach."

Because no tickets are sold, attendance is hard to gauge. But since 2004, the largest attendance seems to be last year’s A-Day game, when an estimate 40,000 came out for a look at the renovations to Bryant-Denny Stadium.

In 2004, an estimated 25,000 showed up, and about 35,000 came out for the 2005 game.

Taylor Watson, curator of the Paul W. Bryant Museum, said he recalls the 1993 A-Day game, which followed the Crimson Tide’s last national champion season, as a big day for fan turnout.

He, too, is looking for thousands of fans to descend on Tuscaloosa, noting that he’s not seen this much anticipation for the Crimson Tide’s football future since Gene Stallings was head coach.

“It always hovers around 40,000," Watson said. “But this year, they may have to open up the east side [of the stadium]."

A-Day, in one fashion or another, has been a University tradition since 1891, according to research conducted by the Bryant Museum.

Since its inception, when it was a showcase for all types of athletics, A-Day has evolved into the football spectacle that it is now.

Some attribute that to the return of Bryant, who came back to the Capstone in 1957 and returned Alabama football to national prominence.

Bryant, a former UA player, remembered when A-Day was filled with festivities culminating with the showcase scrimmage.

In 1958, a parade, talent show and ball were added to the A-Day festivities. As the Crimson Tide’s football team improved, so did the A-Day experience.

The festivities continued through last year with Football Fan Day, where fans were allowed to meet the players and coaches inside Coleman Coliseum a few hours before kick-off.

The Bryant Museum held its own events, and the Crimson Tide’s baseball and softball teams played home games.

This year fans may appreciate the tradition, but by all indications the focus will be on the future.

That’s why Dooley and her husband are coming.

“You just want to be part of the new tradition and new era of Alabama football," she said.

Reach Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0200.