An interesting conversation has started amongst Alabama football fans and media pundits.
The University of Alabama’s Board of Trustees approved the naming of ‘Saban Field’ at Bryant-Denny Stadium last week, giving the former Crimson Tide head coach an incredible honor.
Saban accomplished a lot on the field, including six national championships, nine Southeastern Conference Championships, and crowning four Heisman Memorial Trophy winners.
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Ryan Brown, a co-host of The Next Round Show via WJOX 94.5 FM in Birmingham, Ala., feels George Denny’s name should be replaced by Saban’s on the stadium. Denny served as UA’s President from 1912 to 1936 and was reappointed as interim president from 1941 to 1942. He saw five national titles during his tenure with the Tide under coaches Wallace Wade (1925, 1926, and 1930) and Frank Thomas (1934, 1941).
Denny saw an increase of enrollment of students on campus, and he has a piece of history on campus with Denny Chimes.
Brown believes the two people that did the most for Alabama football are Paul Bryant and Saban.
Saban deserves the stadium.
“I think you tell Denny, ‘It’s been a great run…great job Denny family. You’ve got your chimes and we’ll never take your chimes away from you, but we’re giving the stadium to Saban.’” @RyanBrownLive on @BryantDenny_UA pic.twitter.com/7ct4sNsLuO
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) July 22, 2024
In my opinion, giving Saban the field holds more significance.
He endured every emotion, teachable moment, coaching moment, highs and lows, and wins and losses on the field. We can point to several iconic moments of Saban passionately coaching players, chewing out assistant coaches, fired up at officials, jubilantly celebrating big plays, becoming unglued on bone-headed mistakes, and thanking Alabama fans after every moment of it.
Saban made the field inside BDS a tough environment for any opponent.
His name on the field gives each player that comes through the program an opportunity to say, ‘I played on Nick Saban Field.’
It is cool to say I played at Bryant-Denny Stadium, but to say I played on Saban Field carries more meaning.
I think the Board of Trustees got it right with this one.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
