📡 Where Alabama spring game attendance ranked nationally, in program history

[Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com]

Weather was perfect for Alabama A-Day.

The weather couldn't have been better for Alabama's A-Day Game on Saturday afternoon.

A crowd announced at 74,732 took in the annual spring game in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

It was the ninth largest gathering for Alabama's A-Day game -- almost identical to the 74,326 announced for last year's game.

Admission is free annually for A-Day.

Though down from the peak of 92,300 in 2011, it would have been the largest spring game crowd in the country if it wasn't for Nebraska. With first-year coach Scott Frost bringing optimism to Lincoln, a crowd of 86,818 turned out for Saturday's spring game.

It was similar to Nick Saban's debut in 2007 where the A-Day crowd filled the 92,138-seat stadium before the 2010 expansion. Alabama's had three 90,000-plus attendance days for spring games since Saban arrived.

Later Saturday, Georgia knocked Alabama down to No. 3 for the year with more than 82,000 attending its spring game.

The largest Alabama spring game crowd before Saban was 51,117 in 1988.

Alabama spring game crowds under Saban

1. 92,300 in 2011

2. 92,138 in 2007

3. 91,312 in 2010

4. 84,050 in 2009

5. 78,526 in 2012

6. 78,315 in 2013

7. 78,200 in 2008

8. 76,212 in 2016

9. 74,732 in 2018

10. 74,326 in 2017

11. 73,506 in 2014

Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com
Where Alabama spring game attendance ranked nationally, in program history

 

[sean]

and that averages out to 82,147.

is there another program with that type of consistency for a spring game?

 

[TerryP]

is there another program with that type of consistency for a spring game?

Over that time frame, no. If we cut it down a few years, yes, Ohio State. They've got the top three attendance marks for spring games. I came across an article on it earlier today.

If you recall, people were laughing about the '07 turnout at the time. Five years later it's a thing in the spring for college football fans.

 

[TerryP]

@sk33tr,



Spring game attendance rankings 2018: Nebraska tops top 10

 

[BAMAneck]

and that averages out to 82,147.

is there another program with that type of consistency for a spring game?

Was wondering the same ... BAMA was a trend setter in making the spring game a tool for the program ... I had no idea that it would become such a thing in ‘07 when I attended my first A-day . I didn’t know what to expect .

But when they announced that they had opened Coleman coliseum for the overflow of people . I knew then , there was a bunch of people just like me that was excited again for BAMA football ...that the BAMA brass had finally made a coaching selection to win again and not just go after the same ole mid-level , good ole buy club ... They really stuck their necks out and went after a winner .. I wasn’t sure how long he would hang around . After listening to most sports announcers it wouldn’t be long . But I knew he would turn BAMA back into the teams I remember from my childhood....

Thank you Mal Moore for not taking no for a answer . Awesome ride ..

 

[sean]

is there another program with that type of consistency for a spring game?

Over that time frame, no. If we cut it down a few years, yes, Ohio State. They've got the top three attendance marks for spring games. I came across an article on it earlier today.

If you recall, people were laughing about the '07 turnout at the time. Five years later it's a thing in the spring for college football fans.

yeah, i was talking mostly over that time frame...or any significant time frame (maybe 5 years or more in a row).

i mean ohio state does have the "official record" of spring game attendance; but that's for one year. can they do that consistently year after year after year? sure they hold the top 3 spots on that list, but there's a 6 year gap between 2 and 3.

i'm not gonna do the research (basically because i'm not quite that bored at the moment, lol), but i'd like to see the numbers for the next 10-12 schools in the same time period as first listed above...2007-2018. which, oddly, 2015 isn't on that list.....?

 

[alagator]

yeah, i was talking mostly over that time frame...or any significant time frame (maybe 5 years or more in a row).

In his next post Terry linked numbers that show Ohio State starting with a record in '09. I saw OSU had a record of 81,000+ in 2012 that used to be on the record book of top tens. If they aren't very close to Bama since they started their "spring game attendance drives" I'd be shocked.

 

[rick4bama]

If that other QB's had work out last Saturday, just think about what those attendance would have been?

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Bee going to spring games since 60s. My have they changed....
Regardless....thats a lot of people...like us....that spend the weekend in Ttown..
And its also on TV ......
The homerun derby at halftime wasnt as good as the dodgeball last year...
But weather great....about 40-45 M there.....nice crowd

 

[Max]

But weather great....about 40-45 M there.....nice crowd

The lower bowl seats 60K. There were a few seats that weren't occupied. There were also a good 20K in the upper deck. The number seems as close as you could get this season.