This year’s spring event has the appeal to the most populated one under Saban.
The University of Alabama released all festivities for its annual A-Day game today via rolltide.com.
The exhibition itself is scheduled for Saturday, April 16 at 2:00 p.m. (CT) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. All fourteen institutions in the Southeastern Conference will have its spring games televised and for Alabama, Kirk Herbstreit, Joe Tessitore and Joey Galloway of ESPN will commentate the contest.
All the action prior to kickoff is what will keep the fans excited.
Alabama will have a Mercedes-Benz Fan Fest, which starts at 8:00 a.m. at the North end zone (corner of University Boulevard and Wallace Wade Drive).
Fans will be able to get inflatables, giveaways and games.
An Alumni Flag football game will follow inside Bryant-Denny at 11:30 a.m. A contest that featured former Crimson Tide greats is scheduled to have to 20-minute halves and end at 12:15 p.m. Coach Nick Saban and Alabama four co-captains from its 2015 national championship team—Jacob Coker, Derrick Henry, Ryan Kelly and Reggie Ragland—will then head to the Walk of Champions and address the crowd. The four players will then follow Saban to Denny Chimes to have their cleats and hands imprinted on the landmark, an honor that only leaders receive.
Part of the halftime activities will be an Alabama Quarterback Challenge that features signal-callers from the last ten years.
It will be a huge weekend for ex-Crimson Tide running back and 2009 Heisman Trophy Winner, Mark Ingram. The current New Orleans Saints tailback will receive his Heisman ring from the Heisman Trophy Trust. Henry, who is the current Heisman holder, will have his copy of the trophy presented to Alabama.
Running back Kenyan Drake will be one of few players to have a autograph session, courtesy of BBVA Compass Bank from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. at the Fan Photo tent outside of Gate 5.
Former players will be available for pictures at this location.
This year’s A-Day game will be the 10th under Saban, dating back to 2007. He has won five national championships overall, including four at Alabama.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @ESPN_Future.
