Alabama football has an opportunity to change the landscape of the collegiate game.
Since hiring Nick Saban at head coach in 2007, other schools have been chasing the Crimson Tide in terms of national championships, top-ranked signing classes, getting quality coaches and placing athletes in the NFL Draft.
During this unprecedented time of the Coronavirus pandemic, the chance of having a football season hung in the balance.
With the rise in cases and both the Ivy League and junior college programs cancelling sports until spring, many feared the marquee programs and conferences would do the same.
As we inch closer to fall camp, each institution within the power five conferences will have a season — including a potential full season from the Southeastern Conference and Big 12.
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How does one celebrate when it gets to keep something that was threatened to be removed?
The item in question becomes craved and valued even more. Fans of Crimson Tide football lived in fear for months with the possibility of not having a season, but now it only wants one thing from athletic director Greg Byrne. Alabama has a shot to set the tone for the 2020 campaign in more ways than one. It can control television contracts, ratings, the attention of radio show hosts and the attention of other fans with one move: schedule a blockbuster game to open its regular season on Sept. 5.
Originally, the Tide was set to play the USC Trojans at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
It would have been an exciting contest, seeing how the Trojans are a power program with a lot of talent returning, but the global crisis forced USC to cancel the matchup. A meeting with Notre Dame had all the ingredients to be the most watched season-opening game in Tide football and college football history, unfortunately Byrne pulled the plug on the conversation.
BYU is a respectable program with history; however, Alabama would need more than the Cougars to satisfy the appetite of college football fans who thought the sport would not be possible this fall. While it is an institution that moves the needle, Byrne needs to schedule a season opener for the Tide that gets people to a TV set or compels them to purchase tickets and travel to the venue. As decent as BYU is, it does not set the standard for starting a year off with a bang.
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Among the teams Byrne could call and reach an agreement with include Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia, TCU, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Baylor or even UCF. These schools, especially Oklahoma, Texas and Oklahoma State, would drive fans up the wall and have major networks fighting over who gets the game. Alabama is the elite power and trendsetter of college football.
When a medical tent and LED lights were first introduced to Bryant-Denny Stadium, other areas took notice and immediately implemented those things into its athletic departments.
If Alabama hits a home run with its week one opponent, it will cause everyone else to consider who to put on their schedule.
Remember former SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer?
He is known as the father of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) system. People thought he was crazy when positioned the conference into uncharted waters with the SEC Championship Game in 1992, but it worked.
The game between Alabama and Florida brought entertainment, ratings, attention, TV contracts and most importantly, a trip to the national title game for the Tide.
Kramer’s vision and the success from it led to every conference in college football having a championship game.
When people keep something that was thought to be lost, the celebration has to be done extravagantly.
Byrne was brought to Alabama as one of the best AD’s in the country. He can make a serious statement among his peers with locking in a game that would appease the masses. Saban wants to get back to winning national titles, but it’s the first contest that develops the mindset into players. Although he wanted USC, being able to find another suitor that checks all the boxes will be imperative for Byrne. All of college football will be watching to see how Alabama goes about selecting its first opponent.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
