A fans' guide to A-Day: Why you should go to Alabama's spring football game

A new era will begin Saturday at the University of Alabama's spring football game as the Crimson Tide coaching torch is officially passed from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer.

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Admission to the A-Day game is free. Bryant-Denny Stadium's gates will open at noon and kickoff is set for 3 p.m. The weather forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a temperature in the low 80s during the game.

Here's what fans need to know:

It's Kalen DeBoer's debut

The A-Day game will mark the first opportunity for Crimson Tide fans to see DeBoer in action as Alabama's head football coach.

UA hired the 49-year-old DeBoer on Jan. 12 as the school's 28th football coach, following Nick Saban's retirement. DeBoer comes to Tuscaloosa after leading the Washington Huskies for two seasons. DeBoer led Washington to last season's national championship game, where the Huskies lost to the Michigan Wolverines.

DeBoer has a record of 104 wins and 12 losses in his nine seasons as a head coach. His also resume includes two seasons as head coach at Fresno State and five seasons at his alma mater, the University of Sioux Falls. At USF, he led the Cougars to three NAIA national titles.

Nick Saban will be at A-Day

At 1 p.m., Saban is scheduled to address fans along with 2023 team captains Malachi Moore, Jalen Milroe and Dallas Turner at the Walk of Fame ceremony at Denny Chimes on the Quad.

Moore, Milroe and Turner will place their hand and cleat prints in concrete in a tradition for UA football captains that dates back to the 1940s. The concrete slabs are on permanent display around Denny Chimes.

Saban guided Alabama to an SEC championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff in 2023. He retired Jan. 10 after 17 seasons at UA, where he earned six national championships and nine SEC titles.

Football fans can still expect to see plenty of Saban this fall. In February, ESPN announced that the 72-year-old Saban will join Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, Lee Corso and Desmond Howard on the network's "College GameDay" desk each Saturday.

Why A-Day is a big deal at Alabama

Saban's tenure was marked by huge crowds at the spring football game. In 2007, Crimson Tide fans nearly filled the stadium for Saban's first A-Day game.

Saban credited that UA fan response for setting the tone for his program's subsequent success.

".. I've never had a more gratifying experience than when I walked in the stadium 17 years ago for the spring game, the A-Day game, and there were 95,000 people in the stands," Saban said during his radio show in October 2023. "That still gives me cold chills to this day to know that there were that many people who were so committed to wanting to see the University of Alabama have a quality program and something they can be proud of."

Last year's A-Day game drew 58,000 fans to Bryant-Denny Stadium.

What's there to do before the A-Day game?

Champions Lane, adjacent to the Tuska statue, opens at 11 a.m. The area will include live music, food trucks, a display of Alabama trophies, UA athlete autograph signings and more.

The Walk of Fame ceremony featuring Saban and the 2023 team captains is set for 1 p.m. at Denny Chimes. At 1:50 p.m., fans can gather at the Walk of Champions to welcome the 2024 team as the squad arrives for the A-Day Game.

Inside the stadium, an alumni flag football game will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Other UA athletic events during the A-Day weekend include:

• The men's tennis team against Ole Miss at 4 p.m. Friday and against Texas A&M at 1 p.m. Sunday at the tennis facility

• Baseball vs. Texas A&M at 6 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium

• Softball vs. Texas A&M at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Rhoads Stadium.

More information on these games is available at www.rolltide.com.

The Paul W. Bryant Museum, 300 Paul W. Bryant Drive, will be open on game day, featuring memorabilia and exhibits from all eras 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 6-8 p.m. From 10-11 a.m. Saturday, the museum will host an autograph signing session featuring players from the Saban era. The autograph session costs $200, which includes autographs from all 11 players scheduled to attend: Terrion Arnold. Terrence Cody, Andre Smith, Blake Sims, Trent Richardson, Christion Jones, Darius Hanks, Marquis Maze, Landon Dickerson, Bo Scarbrough and Will Reichard.

For more information, go to https://bryantmuseum.com or call 205-348-4668.

Reach Ken Roberts at ken.roberts@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Why fans should go to A-Day, Alabama's 2024 spring football game