A-Day game attendance set at 72,358, up from 58,710 in 2023
There was a buzz around Alabama as Kalen DeBoer got ready for his first A-Day as head coach. That showed in the attendance numbers the Crimson Tide announced at Bryant Denny Stadium.
Alabama announced 72,358 fans were in attendance for the game. That’s a significant increase from last year’s turnout of 58,710 in what turned out to be Nick Saban’s final spring game as Crimson Tide head coach.
A new era began in Tuscaloosa in January when Saban announced his plans to retire, opening the door for DeBoer to leave Washington after a national championship appearance to take over. The spring game further showed it’s a new regime as Jalen Milroe and the offense flew around the field for what turned out to be an exciting start.
For DeBoer, it made for a memorable day as he got to debut his plans for Alabama in front of a big crowd.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been an awesome spring and today’s been super special,” DeBoer said prior to kickoff. “Lot of events, lot of alumni coming back, of course, today with the A-Day Game.
“The guys are fired up, they’re excited to showcase what they’ve been working on. Really looking forward to seeing us take the next step, and that was the challenge that I just took to them in the locker room.”
DeBoer’s predecessor was also in the house. Saban watched the game from a box on the east side of the stadium. He got to be around the Alabama program throughout the beginning of DeBoer’s tenure, although he made it clear he didn’t want to hover too much.
So far, Saban likes what he sees from the new Alabama coach.
“Kalen’s a great coach,” Saban said during the first half. “I know there’s been some disruptions based on me leaving, him coming. But he’s gonna do a great job. The players are in good hands, and I think they’ll do a great job of recruiting. Probably need to get some guys out of the portal like everybody else at this time of year, but I’m excited for the future.”
After DeBoer took over at Alabama, he made it clear he wanted Saban to still have a presence in some way, shape or form. The legendary coach still has an office at Bryant Denny Stadium, and considering he’s going to be on TV with ESPN’s College GameDay, he’s not likely to go too far away from the program.