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Bryant-Denny Stadium

The home field of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team is Bryant-Denny Stadium, which is on campus at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. At the start of the 2024 season, the university honors former Head Football Coach Nick Saban by naming the playing surface at the stadium after him. The current capacity of Bryant-Denny Stadium is 100,077 and its current largest crowd was 101,821. The Alabama football team’s home stadium is the eighth largest for team sports in the United States and the tenth largest in the world. [1]

Opening in 1929, originally named Denny Stadium (or Denny Field) after former University of Alabama President- George H. Denny. At the time Denny Stadium had a capacity of 12,000 seats on the west sideline, while President Denny planned for an eventual full bowl stadium of 66,000 seats. However, in those early seasons of Alabama football at Denny Stadium, home games were split with other stadiums in Alabama many with increased seating capacity. Including the Crampton Bowl in Montgomery, Ladd Stadium in Mobile, and Legion Field in Birmingham.

Eventually the University of Alabama began renovations to Denny Stadium with projects increasing capacity. In 1937 seats were added on the east sideline which doubled seating to 24,000. Increased to 31,000 seats in 1946 with seats in both endzones, then again in 1961 with expanded seating in the west grandstand to 43,000 seating capacity. To rounding out construction for many years by fully enclosing both endzones bringing seating to just under President Denny’s goal at 60,210.

During this era, the majority of Alabama’s most important games were played in Legion Field which went from 68,000+ to 75,000+ from the 1960s to the 1970s, then completed to over 83,000 seats in 1991. Over the years many fans and alumni began a grassroots movement to make Bryant-Denny Stadium the exclusive home to the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, which began in earnest with the first upper deck expansion in 1988 which increased capacity to 70,123. But still more work needed to be done.

Before that in 1975, the Alabama state legislature honored then Head Football Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant by adding his name onto the stadium. Many consider this moment as the birth of the desire for the Alabama football team to play all their home games in Tuscaloosa. That was a goal that would not be accomplished until the 2004 season. Before that season, the University of Alabama had several more expansion projects to complete. [2]

In 1998 the east upper deck was completed, which included 81 skyboxes along with stadium seating bringing the total seating capacity to 83,818. Then in 2006  the north endzone expansion was completed featuring three different levels of skyboxes, which were given the in stadium name of "The Zone", made the total skybox count at 123 and a total capacity of 92,138. On top of seating, the outside façade was upgraded to brick and the north endzone approach changed to include “the Walk of Champions” which is where the team enters the stadium to much fanfare. The space includes a statue of every Alabama football head coach to win a National Championship.

After this, only the south endzone could be expanded, and it didn’t take long as in 2010, the project was completed. The expansion brought a two level South Zone club with a total of 1,700 seats and 36 more skyboxes topping off the number of skyboxes in Bryant–Denny Stadium to 159. The expansion also added an 8,500 seat stadium seating upper deck. This brought the total seating capacity to 101,821. The exterior of the south endzone also saw a great facelift with more brick façade to match the north endzones design. Both the 2006 and 2010 expansions saw the addition of large video boards in each corner of the endzone giving a great screen view to every seat in the house.

Finally with stadium construction complete a renovation began in 2019 that included new social spaces, improved circulation, additional premium seating and upgraded spaces for athletes and recruits. The Walk of Champions was extended into a new game day locker room through a new tunnel featuring video boards. The addition of the premium seating slightly reduced the seating capacity to where it stands today at 100,077.

In 2008, naming rights to the visiting locker room were purchased by alumnus and donor James M. Fail. Since then, all visiting teams arrive to get dressed in “The Fail Room.” James Fail is quoted as saying- "Earlier this year, when I saw the visitors' locker room as a potential naming right, I figured it was the most appropriate opportunity I would ever have to use my name.” [3]

The field design has remained the same since 2009 featuring the Alabama Script A shield logo at the 50 yard line. The north endzone reads “Alabama” in white block letters on a crimson background, while the south endzone reads “Crimson Tide” in the same manor. Each 25 yard line, outside the hashmarks features a Southeastern Conference logo with a crimson backing and white lettering.

Entering the 2024 football season the Alabama Crimson Tide football team has an overall record of 249–51–3, which is an 82.7% winning percentage at Bryant-Denny Stadium. This along with the one hundred thousand plus fanbase packed into the stadium on Saturdays in the fall makes Bryant-Denny Stadium one of the toughest venues for visiting teams in all of college football.

Since 2009, both Bryant-Denny Stadium, and Jordan-Hare Stadium (home of the Auburn Tigers) alternate hosting the Super 7 Alabama High School State Championship Games. The visiting team of the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs Auburn) will host the Super 7 at their stadium, giving hundreds of high school athletes a chance to perform in a major college football stadium. The 2023 Super 7 was held in Bryant-Denny Stadium. [4]

Sub-topics: Bryant Denny Stadium Bag Policy, Bryant Denny Stadium Capacity, Bryant Denny Stadium Concessions, Bryant Denny Stadium Lights, Bryant Denny Stadium Parking, Bryant Denny Stadium Renovation, Bryant Denny Stadium Rules, Bryant Denny Stadium Seating Chart

Related-topics: Alabama Crimson Tide Football Team, Alabama Football National Championships, Alabama Heisman Trophy Winners

References

  1. AP News [ Nick Saban Field Bryant Denny Alabama ] August 4, 2024
  2. AL [ Legion Field Through The Years ] August 4, 2024
  3. Roll Tide [ Bryant Denny Stadium VisitorsLocker Room Named for James M Fail ] August 4, 2024
  4. Alabama High School Athletic Association [ 2023 Super 7 Tuscaloosa Information ] August 4, 2024

Contributors

Last Modified: August 6, 2024