A-Day 2024 takes place Saturday, April 13. Here are 13 fun and useful facts about this UA spring tradition.
What is A-Day?
It’s the end of spring football practice and is typically the 15th practice and final practice game allowed by the NCAA for the season.
It is also a big recruiting day for Alabama Crimson Tide football. This weekend, many of the Tide’s top prospects will visit campus and get a taste of the football atmosphere in Tuscaloosa.
Walk of Fame
The Walk of Fame began in 1948 when the first Crimson Tide football captains put their handprints in the cement around Denny Chimes on UA’s famous Quad. The ceremony is part of the A-Day fun.
Ken Stabler (1967) is the only Tide player to have his nickname on his slab in the Walk of Fame. His reads “KEN SNAKE STABLER.”
This Year’s A-Day
While it was once for UA alums, now all Tide fans enjoy the day. It is always free and offers a chance for everyone to see the Tide coaches and players take the field in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe, outside linebacker Dallas Turner and safety Malachi Moore will add their handprints to the Walk of Fame as 2023 captains.
The 2024 A-Day game will be the first for new head football coach Kalen DeBoer.
ESPN will televise the game starting at 3 p.m.
Trivia Tidbits
A-Day grew out of UA’s field day activities in the 1930s, originally set aside as a break from classes. Students participated in sporting competitions, like boxing, track and field events, baseball and even football.
In the 1940s, field day evolved in conjunction with Alumni Weekend, when UA graduates returned for class reunions and an annual alumni dinner. One of the events would be a spring training football game.
In 1985, UA players lined up against UA administrators and former players (including Ken Stabler and Ozzie Newsome) in an A-Day scrimmage game. Then-UA president Joab Thomas ran the first play but was tackled by future pro linebacker Cornelius Bennett.
In addition to the Million Dollar Band, high school students and MDB alumni play for the crowds.
The highest A-Day attendance came in 2011, when 92,310 fans filled Bryant-Denny stadium.