re: Bama Football Tidings

quote:

---

The 2019 season finally kicks off at home on Saturday at 3 p.m., as the New Mexico State Aggies roll into town to take on the Crimson Tide.
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s first gameday at the Capstone, including some slight changes to the fan experience.

WEATHER
Saturday: Sunny skies with a high near 98, followed by clear skies and an overnight low around 68. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Tuscaloosa County on Saturday.
Sunday: Sunny skies with a high near 97, followed by clear skies and an overnight low around 69.

STAY COOL
Temperatures will be very hot on Saturday and throughout much of the season. UA will provide cooling stations inside Bryant-Denny Stadium where fans can bring in their own empty plastic bottle to fill during games.

TRAFFIC
Visit the UA Gameday Operations website for extensive tips on traveling to and from Tuscaloosa on Saturdays.

You’ll find pregame and post-game traffic maps that should help you find our way in and around campus and town.

Due to construction in high-traffic areas, UA recommends adding an extra 30 minutes to your schedule in case of any potential delays.

I-20/59 TUSCALOOSA CONSTRUCTION
Construction continues on Interstate 20/59 between exits 77 and 73 in both directions. Narrow lanes and reduced speed limits will likely cause delays. Use Highway 216 Route (exit 100) or Cottondale Route (exit 79) to avoid congestion.
A portion of I-20/59 Northbound is divided into two lanes from Exit 73 to Exit 76.
UA encourages fans traveling north from I-359 to use the left-most lane through to Birmingham.
Fans traveling on McFarland Blvd. S are highly encouraged to use Skyland Blvd. to I-20/59 North.

MCFARLAND BLVD. CLOSURE
A left turn lane from McFarland Boulevard onto I-20/59 North ramp is closed. UA encourages fans to use the Cottondale or Highway 216 route when leaving Tuscaloosa.
Skyland Boulevard will also be utilized as an alternate route to I-20/59 for fans using McFarland Boulevard post-game.

LURLEEN WALLACE / DOWNTOWN TUSCALOOSA CONSTRUCTION
Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevard North and South through downtown Tuscaloosa will continue to undergo construction for the 2019 football season. As a part of a road widening project, various lanes will be closed to traffic throughout the Fall. At least two lanes will remain open in both directions. These closures may cause traffic delays.

PARKING
You can find free parking in and around downtown Tuscaloosa. For campus parking, check the UA Gameday website for maps and opportunities to park near the action.

The new Capstone Parking Deck (located near Moody Music Building and across Bryant Drive from the Alabama baseball stadium) will have spots available to the public on gamedays for $30.
Some parking has been removed near the north end of Bryant-Denny Stadium to create needed walking room for pedestrians.

METAL DETECTORS
In the interest of continued safety for fans, student-athletes, coaches and game day personnel, UA will continue to use walk-through metal detectors at all gates of Bryant-Denny Stadium on gamedays for the 2019 season.
Bryant Denny Stadium gates will open 30 minutes earlier than past seasons, now 2.5 hours prior to kickoff.
UA Gameday’s metal detector FAQ page notes that there have not been any threats made to Bryant-Denny in the past, but they simply want to enhance safety procedures for fans. Metal detectors are already mandatory at NFL and MLB stadiums, and they are in use at other college stadiums around the country. The SEC has also mandated that all stadiums in the conference use metal detectors by 2020.
Read more about the metal detector plan at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
Alabama will continue to implement and enforce its new clear bag policy for home football games this year in the interest of public safety and to significantly expedite entry into Bryant-Denny Stadium. The policy that will limit the size and types of bags that may be brought in by fans. The only non-clear plastic bag fans can bring into Bryant-Denny this season is a small clutch purse no larger than 4 1/2 inches-by-6 1/2 inches. If any larger, the bags must be clear and plastic. Fans can also bring in one-gallon clear plastic freezer bags, similar to Ziploc bags you buy at the grocery store. Learn more about the clear bag policy.

FORBIDDEN ITEMS
Keep in mind there are everyday items -- including umbrellas -- you cannot bring with you into Bryant-Denny Stadium. These include unclear bags/purses, chair backs larger than a single seat (16 inches), strollers, flags/banners on poles.

Learn about University of Alabama Gameday Operations rules on the school’s event website.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY TAILGATE RELOCATED TO QUAD
Alabama will move the family-friendly tailgating area it introduced in 2016 in an effort to combine the fun of Crimson Tide gamedays with an atmosphere conducive for families. The spot was located at the corner of Hackberry Lane and Campus Drive, approximately two blocks north of the Quad, on Peter Bryce Campus.
UA will move it and the inflatables back to the northeast side of the Quad next to the Supe Store tent. It will be an alcohol-free area. UA says the move comes because they’ve heard from fans they want to be closer to the Quad and stadium.

TWITTER
Stay up to date before, during and after the game by following AL.com’s Michael Casagrande, Matt Zenitz, Mike Rodak, aldotcomTide or aldotcomSports on Twitter.
You can also follow UAGameday on Twitter for constant updates about this weekend’s festivities.

WILL CALL
The Will Call window will open at 11 a.m. and is located between Gates 32 and 33 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. All gates open at 12:30.
THE GAME!
The Crimson Tide looked impressive in the season opener against Duke, stomping the Blue Devils 42-3 in Atlanta, and they hope to keep up the momentum ahead of SEC play.
Freshmen linebackers Christian Harris and Shane Lee each had a solid outing in their Bama debuts, and every rep will count as the competition gets tougher this season.
While Alabama is the overwhelming betting favorite against the Aggies, they never want to go into kickoff too confident, especially considering the non-conference upsets the conference saw during week one of the college football season.
If quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the talented offense remain sharp early on, fans could see some of Bama’s young players enter the game for some much-needed experience.
We’ll find out at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

IMPORTANT TIMES
FRIDAY, Sept. 6
6-8 p.m.
Quad drop-off Moore Hall and Little Hall drop-off

SATURDAY, Sept. 7
7 a.m.
Crimson Ride shuttles begin
Parking lots open
Quad drop-off

8 a.m.
Bryant Museum opens

9 a.m.
Quad power on

11 a.m.
Coca-Cola Kickoff Zone & Mercedes-Benz Fan Fest open
Prince Wimbley & Antonio Langham autograph signing
University Mall Shuttle begins
Will Call opens

11:30 a.m.
Women’s basketball autograph signing

Noon
Campus roadblocks begin
Lee Ozmint autograph signing
Marco Battle autograph signing
Suite/student gates open

12:30 p.m.
Stadium gates open

1 p.m.
Walk of Champions

2 p.m.
Elephant Stomp

3 p.m.
Kickoff (SEC Network)

ROLL TIDE!
We’ll be out and about on Saturday taking pregame pics and finding fans cheering in the stands, so be on the lookout. Most of all, have fun on Saturday, be safe and Roll Tide!

---