Mayor of Tuscaloosa believes it's better for Alabama to no longer hold A-Day

In general, the future of spring games appears to be in limbo. Alabama was one of the many programs to modify how the event looked, still continuing the A-Day tradition in Tuscaloosa. That said, nobody knows what Kalen DeBoer will do moving forward. And if you were to ask city officials, no longer holding A-Day may be the best move.

“From the city standpoint, I can’t believe it,” Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said via The Tuscaloosa News. “Twenty years ago, if you would have asked me, ‘Would you want to have A-Day?’ I’d say, ‘Yes,’” Maddox said. “Today, I would say, with all the things that come now surrounding it, I think it’s better for us not to have A-Day and focus on the UA-generated events that don’t require so much security personnel and other logistical support.”

A-Day is a little more relaxed compared to a normal football game. Not just on Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium but around the entire city as well. Golden Flake has been the sponsor of the event for years now, allowing anyone to come out and see what the team looks like.

For the most part, not too much is learned from a football sense during A-Day. DeBoer did not even put on a full scrimmage during his first season in charge. Compared to nearly two decades ago, when A-Day was a massive deal thanks to Nick Saban taking over the program. The shift in spring game ideologies has seen a major shift.

No official word has come from DeBoer or Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne on the game’s future. However, Maddox has a tough time seeing a world where it continues.

“It’ll be interesting to see the evolution of A-Day,” Maddox said. “I don’t know any information, but I don’t think A-Day will ever exist again, at least over the next 10 to 20 years, the way it has in the past.”

Thankfully, there is plenty of time to decide before a decision needs to be made. Alabama has the 2025 season to focus on first, hoping to find better results than last year. DeBoer wants his second season to be one where the Crimson Tide compete in the College Football Playoff.

DeBoer, Byrne, and everyone inside the building are not thinking about spring practice 2026 right now. But Maddox made sure his opinion was known — no more A-Day for the betterment of Tuscaloosa.