Alabama Fan Day to feature exclusive Yea Alabama autograph session
When Alabama football hosts Fan Day next month, it will come with an NIL twist.
When the Crimson Tide hold their event on Aug. 5 at Bryant-Denny Stadium, members of the NIL collective Yea Alabama will have access to an exclusive autograph session with players and Nick Saban on the field. It’s another example of how athletic departments are adapting to embrace and endorse collectives.
The official NIL entity of Alabama athletics since its launch back in February, Yea Alabama has created innovative ideas to engage the Tide fanbase. The organization hosted a meet and greet with four early enrollees at The Authentic this past winter, and it has released T-shirts with multiple teams to benefit athletes.
Saban has been a staunch supporter of Yea Alabama since the collective’s inception. Collectives have become necessary for the top college football and basketball programs to stay competitive in the new world of college athletics. These organizations have also placed an emphasis on roster retention. Striking agreements has been key in some situations to ensure athletes do not leave for the transfer portal.
“I have always believed that our players should have the chance to benefit from their name, image and likeness,” Saban said at the time of the collective’s launch. “Yea Alabama is an exciting new resource to help Crimson Tide student-athletes create value for themselves through a variety of NIL opportunities.
“The Alabama brand is one of the most powerful in sports, and our partnership with Yea Alabama provides exposure for our athletes that is unmatched in college athletics.”
The autograph sessions is also a unique way to drive subscriptions to the collective. Other collectives across the nation have come up with fresh ideas to combat donor fatigue, trying to reward donors with items or experiences to make their investments worthwhile.
In the news release Monday, Alabama pitched the collective to donors and fans as a way to support Tide athletes in their NIL endeavors. Yea Alabama offers memberships ranging from $18 to $250 monthly, with subscribers gaining access to exclusive content and events.
Following practice, the Alabama football team, coaching staff along with Saban will sign autographs for Yea Alabama members on the field for 45 minutes. For subscribers of the entity to gain admission, they’ll have to present an official digital Yea Alabama autograph session ticket that will be emailed in advance of the event.
Fans will be limited to one item per person for autographs, with no posed photographs will not be permitted.
More details on Alabama Fan Day
Stadium entry will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET for Alabama Fan Day on Aug. 5, through gates 13 and 24 for seating in the west side lower bowl. The open practice is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET and is slated to last approximately two hours.
The Authentic shop at Bryan-Denny Stadium will be open, too. Through a long-term partnership with Fanatics, the Tide opened their first-ever team store at the stadium this fall, with a distinct focus on NIL.
Fans have the opportunity to customize Nike player jerseys, T-shirts and headwear. They also can access game-used memorabilia and digital trading cards from Topps.