Bryant–Denny Stadium facts for kids
Bryant–Denny Stadium in 2016
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| Full name | Saban Field at Bryant–Denny Stadium |
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| Former names | Denny Stadium (1929–1975) Bryant–Denny Stadium (1975–2024) |
| Location | 920 Paul W Bryant Drive Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 33°12′30″N 87°33′1″W / 33.20833°N 87.55028°W |
| Capacity | 100,077 |
| Record attendance | 101,821 |
| Surface | Grass (1929–1967) AstroTurf (1968–1990) Grass (1991–present) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | December 1928 |
| Opened | September 28, 1929 |
| Expanded | 1937, 1946, 1961, 1966, 1988, 1998, 2006, 2010 |
| Construction cost | $196,000 ($3.34 million in 2022 ) |
| Architect | Atwood and Nash, Inc., Architects and Engineers |
| Tenants | |
| Alabama Crimson Tide (NCAA) (1929–1986, 1988–present) AHSAA Super 7 (2009–2023) |
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Saban Field at Bryant–Denny Stadium is a huge outdoor stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It's the exciting home field for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. This team plays in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which is a big deal in college sports!
The stadium first opened 96 years ago in 1929. It was originally called Denny Stadium, named after George H. Denny, who was the school's president. Later, in 1975, the state added the name of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. He coached the team for many years and is one of the few coaches to have a stadium named after him while he was still coaching there!
In 2024, the playing field itself was named after another amazing coach, Nick Saban. Coach Saban led the Crimson Tide to six national championships between 2007 and 2023.
With room for 100,077 fans, it's one of the biggest stadiums around. It's the fifth-largest in the SEC, the eighth-largest in the United States, and even the tenth-largest in the whole world! Imagine all those people cheering at once!
Contents
Building the Stadium: A Look Back
Bryant–Denny Stadium replaced an older field called Denny Field. It first opened on September 28, 1929, with 6,000 people watching a big 55–0 win for Alabama. The stadium was officially celebrated a week later during a homecoming game.
When it first opened, the stadium could hold 12,000 fans. But President Denny had a much bigger dream: a stadium that could seat 66,000 people!
Growing Bigger Over Time
The stadium grew a lot over the years.
- In 1937, more seats were added, making room for 24,000 fans.
- Then, in 1946, bleachers were put in both end zones, increasing capacity to 31,000.
- More seats were added in 1961 and 1966, bringing the total to 43,000 and then 60,210.
- In 1988, a whole new upper deck was built on the west side. This added almost 10,000 seats, making the capacity 70,123. During this construction, the team played their home games at Legion Field in Birmingham.
East Upper Deck: More Seats and Skyboxes (1998)
In 1995, plans were approved to build an upper deck on the east side of the stadium. This project cost $35 million. The city of Tuscaloosa and nearby areas helped pay for it. In return, the university promised to play all its home games at Bryant–Denny, not at Legion Field anymore.
This new section added 10,000 more seats and 81 special skyboxes. Skyboxes are like private rooms where people can watch the game. A huge scoreboard called a JumboTron was also added. It was the biggest in college sports at the time!
The expanded stadium opened in 1998, with a capacity of 83,818. Alabama won its first game there, 38–31, against BYU.
North End Zone Gets an Upgrade (2006)
After the 2004 season, the university spent about $47 million to expand the north end zone. This part was finished just before the 2006 season started. It added another upper deck and more skyboxes, bringing the total to 123. Two big display screens were also added.
One of the coolest additions was the Walk of Champions. This brick plaza leads to the stadium and has 16 granite monuments. These monuments celebrate the Crimson Tide's championship teams. Along the walk, there are five large bronze statues of Alabama football coaches who led the team to national championships. These include Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Paul "Bear" Bryant, and Gene Stallings. A fifth statue of Nick Saban was added in 2011.
There's also a statue group of two Alabama football players at the entrance. One holds a flag, and the other points. Their jersey numbers, 18 and 92, represent 1892, the first year of Crimson Tide football.
The north end zone opened for the 2006 season, setting a new attendance record of 92,138 fans.
South End Zone Grows Even Bigger (2010)
In 2008, plans for an $80.6 million expansion of the south end zone were approved. This project would make the stadium's capacity around 101,600. Construction started in spring 2009 and was ready for the 2010 season. The cost ended up being less than expected, around $65.6 million.
The expanded south end zone added 1,700 club seats and 36 more skyboxes, bringing the stadium's total to 159 skyboxes. An 8,500-seat upper deck was also built. The stadium's sound and video systems were improved, with new video boards in the south end zone corners.
The expansion was finished in summer 2010. It made Bryant–Denny the fifth-largest college football stadium in the country at the time, with an official capacity of 101,821.
Recent Updates and Naming (2019–2024)
From 2019 to 2024, the stadium received $92.5 million in upgrades. These included new social areas, better ways for people to move around, and improved spaces for athletes. A new tunnel with video boards was added, extending the Walk of Champions to the locker room.
New LED lights were installed in August 2019, which can even light up the stadium in crimson!
In 2024, the university added signs to the east and west upper decks. These signs officially named the playing field Saban Field at Bryant–Denny Stadium. This was done to honor legendary head coach Nick Saban, who coached the team from 2007 to 2023.
Stadium Growth Timeline
| Year | Summary | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Stadium opened as grandstand on west sideline | 12,000 |
| 1937 | Permanent grandstand added to east sideline | 24,000 |
| 1946 | Bleachers added to both end zones | 31,000 |
| 1961 | Seats added to west grandstand | 43,000 |
| 1966 | Both end zones fully enclosed | 60,210 |
| 1988 | West side upper deck | 70,123 |
| 1998 | East side upper deck | 83,818 |
| 2006 | North end zone expansion and upper deck | 92,138 |
| 2010 | South end zone expansion and upper deck | 101,821 |
| 2020 | Expanded premium and accessible seating | 100,077 |
Exciting Football History
Since it opened in 1929 until 2023, the Crimson Tide has had an amazing record at Bryant–Denny Stadium. They have won 249 games, lost 51, and tied 3! Coach Nick Saban has the most wins at the stadium, with 88 victories.
For many years, Alabama played its most important home games at Legion Field in Birmingham. This was because Legion Field was much bigger than Bryant-Denny. Famous games like the Iron Bowl against rival Auburn were often played there.
However, once Bryant–Denny Stadium became larger than Legion Field in 1998, the big games started moving to Tuscaloosa. By 2003, Bryant–Denny became the only home for Alabama football.
Bryant–Denny Stadium has seen many unforgettable moments. These include thrilling games, amazing plays, and big wins against tough opponents. It's known as one of the best and toughest places for teams to play college football!
Field Design Changes
For a long time, the field at Bryant–Denny Stadium had only the basic lines needed for playing. Unlike many other stadiums, it didn't have big logos at midfield or on the 25-yard lines. The end zones simply said "ALABAMA" in white letters.
But things started to change!
- In 2002, a large white script "A" was added to midfield.
- By 2004, the field got a full makeover. The white "A" was replaced with a crimson "A" logo, surrounded by a crimson ring that said "Alabama Crimson Tide." The end zones also changed to crimson letters outlined in white.
Special logos have also appeared on the field:
- In 2006, logos celebrating the university's 175th anniversary were placed on the 25-yard lines.
- In 2007, logos for the 75th anniversary of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) were added.
- Since 2008, the SEC logo has been a regular feature on the field.
- For the 2009 season, the end zones changed again. They went back to the original white block-style font, but with a crimson background. The north end zone says "ALABAMA," and the south end zone says "CRIMSON TIDE." This design is still used today.
- In 2011, special houndstooth awareness ribbons were painted on the 25-yard lines. These were to remember the victims and damage from the terrible tornado that hit Tuscaloosa in April 2011.
Unique Locker Room
In 2008, the locker room for visiting teams was officially named "The Fail Room." It was named after a donor, James M. Fail. He thought it was a funny and fitting way to use his name!
High School Championships
Since 2009, Bryant–Denny Stadium has been one of the places to host the Alabama High School Athletic Association state football championship games. These games are called the Super 7. Auburn University's Jordan–Hare Stadium also hosts them. More recently, Protective Stadium in Birmingham joined the rotation in 2021.
Images for kids
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Iron Bowl 2006
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The south end zone scoreboard in 2007. Installed in 1998, the JumboTron was removed during 2009-2010 renovations.
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The Walk of Champions in 2008.
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Panoramic view in 2009
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Looking west in 2010
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The "Coaches Walk" alongside the Walk of Champions in 2012. It features statues to prominent Crimson Tide football head coaches.
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Bryant–Denny Stadium in April 2013
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Interior at night during off-season, 2015
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2010 Alabama vs San Jose State
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See also
In Spanish: Bryant-Denny Stadium para niños
