ESPN will televise Tide’s A-Day spring football game

By Ken Rogers

Published: March 3, 2009

Alabama’s annual A-Day Game on Saturday, April 18, will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Admission is free.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase the University of Alabama and our football program,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said Tuesday in a statement released by the university. “A-Day is a special weekend at Alabama and our fans have responded with two of the largest crowds to ever watch a college football spring game the last two years. That positive energy and enthusiasm by our fans has had a significant impact on our success. I encourage all of our Crimson Tide fans to fill Bryant-Denny Stadium on April 18th and show everyone why we have the best fans in the land. There’s nothing better than coming out of the tunnel to a full stadium, whether that is A-Day or at our home games in the fall.“

A-Day has been a huge event under Saban. A capacity crowd of 92,183 showed up in the spring of 2007 at the coach’s first spring game in Tuscaloosa. Last season’s game drew a crowd estimated at 78,200. That total trailed only Nebraska, which topped spring football attendance last year when a crowd of 80,149 saw Bo Pelini’s first team take the field.

“College football fans follow the sport year round and as proven in the past, Alabama has some of the most loyal and passionate followers in the country,” said Dave Brown, vice president, ESPN programming and acquisitions, in the university’s press release. “We look forward to capturing the exciting atmosphere at Bryant-Denny Stadium and to provide a preview at the 2009 Crimson Tide. We thank Alabama for their cooperation in making this work.”

Alabama starts spring practice on Friday, March 13 and then will take the next week off for spring break. The second practice is scheduled for Monday, March 23.