If you want to watch Alabama's A-Day game this year, you only have one option: be seated in Bryant-Denny Stadium on April 12th for the game. Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide have elected to not allow the game to be televised this year, breaking a near 20-year streak of the game being broadcast or streamed.
This could ultimately be the last year there's an A-Day game, period. Other programs have gone as far to cancel the game altogether, including Texas and NC State most recently. Transfer Portal paranoia is at the forefront of the decision making process.
Coaches are terrified that someone will pop on tape so much during the spring game that a depth piece at their school will get a starting opportunity somewhere else and leave in the spring portal cycle.
Of course, players are going to leave anyway as they will see where they are on the depth chart for the spring and how much ground they have to make up between now and the start of the 2025 season.
This is just another disservice to fans everywhere. The spring game at Alabama has always brought a lot of excitement. Spring football is the second favorite sports season for a number of Alabama fans behind only the actual season.
The A-Day game helped launch the Nick Saban Alabama dynasty when Saban's first A-Day in 2007 was sold out to the point it was standing room only and fans were turned away at the gate. It was that level of passion that showed Saban what could be accomplished in Tuscaloosa, and he went on to lead the program to six national championships over his 17-year run with the Crimson Tide.
Alabama's spring game this year brings a lot of intrigue as a QB battle will begin between Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and freshman Keelon Russell. Now the majority of Tide fans will miss out on a first look at the competition.
Alabama's A-Day game will kick off at 12:00 PM CT on April 12th at Bryant-Denny Stadium and admission, as always, is free.