Alabama Football: Home opener could help Tide recruiting

Alabama football could see a recruiting boost after a home game.

High school recruiting has been turned on its head due to COVID-19 regulations and restrictions. With some teams not playing college football in 2020, athletes might have to make decisions without all of the traditional visits. For Alabama football, this might become an advantage.

Alabama is in a tough recruiting battle against Ohio State for the top overall 2021 recruiting class. Since the Buckeyes might not play this season, Alabama will have a recruiting advantage simply by being on the TV screen every Saturday. They will get to show that they are still a top team in college football.

While every game has recruiting potential for Alabama football, the home opener will be incredibly important for them. The Tide will host Texas A&M on the first Saturday in October. This game will be important for many reasons. First and foremost, it will be Alabama’s first test of the year. While Missouri hopes to improve from last year, Alabama should easily beat them on the road.

Another key for Alabama football is that they will get to display the renovations to Bryant-Denny Stadium. Many schools flaunt extravagant upgrades to stadiums and locker rooms in hopes of landing high school prospects. However, Alabama gets to pair those renovations with the history and success that they have created over their existence. That puts power behind their words and compounds the likelihood of landing recruits.

While recruits are watching Alabama’s game on TV, they will likely hear reporting on how the renovations look. This could basically be free advertising in a scenario where on-campus visits are not happening as often.

The fact that the season opener will be in October helps the odds that fans will stay in the stands for four quarters. An autumn game against an SEC opponent makes things more interesting than playing Georgia Southern in the 100-degree heat. While seating will be limited, the crowd should be loud for the entire game.

All of this helps Alabama football as they try to reel in a few final recruits in their 2021 class. We’ll have to wait until next year to see if they manage to do so.