ESPN to broadcast Alabama's first A-Day Game of Kalen DeBoer era
Alabama fans won’t be alone in getting their first look at the Crimson Tide football team under new head coach Kalen DeBoer, as the school’s 2024 A-Day Spring Game on Saturday, April 13, at 3 p.m. CT will be nationally televised on ESPN, it was announced on Monday.
According to ESPN’s press release, Alabama’s spring game will be the only one on ESPN.
A lot of eyes will be on the 15th and final practice of the spring as it will be the public’s first view of DeBoer’s tenure at Alabama. It will also be a new-look team as 40 players from the 2023 roster, either via the NFL draft or the transfer portal, have left the program, while the Tide added 34 new players, eight new on-field coaches and several new support staffers.
As for the format of the spring scrimmage, DeBoer wants to keep that as similar as possible.
“A lot of it’s just based on the roster,” DeBoer told Tide 100.9. “I’d love to keep the format that it’s been and what I know the fans love. We’ll certainly do that. But we need to make sure that everything we do is strategic and building up towards us getting better and maximizing each and every practice.
“But I’d love to keep the format that has been, the one that’s been a lot of fun for fans. So expecting a great A-Day crowd once again, and it should be a lot of fun for our guys.”
In past years, the Tide’s roster has been split up into two teams with the first-team offense facing the first-team defense with the same applying to the second units. The winning team of the scrimmage later enjoys a steak dinner, while the losers eat beans and weenies.
Also announced by ESPN was Alabama’s 2024 Pro Day on Wednesday, March 20, will begin at 10:30 a.m. CT inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Practice Facility and will air on SEC Network.
ESPN PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE – COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPRING GAMES
| Date | Time (CT) | College Football Spring Programming | Platform |
| Sat, Mar 16 | 1 p.m. | Missouri: Black & Gold Spring Game | ESPN+/SECN+ |
| Sat, Apr 6 | Noon | Clemson Spring Game | ESPN+/ACCNX |
| 1 p.m. | NC State Spring Game | ACC Network | |
| Sat, Apr 13 | 10 a.m. | Houston: Red & White Spring Game | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ |
| 11 a.m. | Boston College: Jay McGillis Memorial Spring Game | ACC Network | |
| Noon | Georgia: G-Day | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| Noon | Georgia Tech: White & Gold Spring Game | ESPN+/ACCNX | |
| Noon | Florida: Orange & Blue Game | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| Noon | Tennessee: Orange & White Game | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| Noon | Kentucky: Blue-White Spring Game | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| Noon | Arkansas: Red-White Spring Game | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| 1 p.m. | Pittsburgh Spring Game | ACC Network | |
| 1 p.m. | LSU: National L-Club Spring Game | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| 2 p.m. | Virginia Tech Spring Game | ESPN+/ACCNX | |
| 3 p.m. | Alabama: A-Day | ESPN | |
| 3 p.m. | Miami Spring Game | ESPN+/ACCNX | |
| 3 p.m. | Ole Miss: Grove Bowl | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| Fri, Apr 19 | 6 p.m. | Louisville Spring Game | ACC Network |
| 6 p.m. | Kennesaw State Spring Game | ESPN+ | |
| Sat, Apr 20 | 11 a.m. | Georgia Southern: Blue vs. White Spring Game | ESPN+ |
| Noon | Mississippi State: Maroon-White Game | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| Noon | Baylor Spring Game | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ | |
| 1 p.m. | Texas Spring Game | Longhorn Network | |
| 1 p.m. | Wake Forest Spring Game | ACC Network | |
| 1 p.m. | Virginia Spring Game | ESPN+/ACCNX | |
| 1 p.m. | Texas A&M: Maroon & White Game | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| 1 p.m. | Texas Tech Spring Game | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ | |
| 1 p.m. | Oklahoma Spring Game | SoonerVision on ESPN+ | |
| 3 p.m. | Florida State: Garnet and Gold Spring Showcase | ACC Network | |
| 5 p.m. | Duke: Blue & White Spring Game | ACC Network | |
| 6 p.m. | Syracuse Spring Game | ESPN+/ACCNX | |
| 6 p.m. | South Carolina: Garnet-Black Spring Game | ESPN+/SECN+ | |
| Sat, Apr 27 | 11 a.m. | West Virginia Spring Game | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ |
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