Sweet home Tuscaloosa
Alabama pays $1 million to move three Birmingham games
Posted: Saturday March 06, 1999 10:11 AM
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Thanks to an expansion of Bryant-Denny Stadium, coach Mike Dubose and the Crimson Tide will be playing more games in Tuscaloosa. Scott Halleran/Allsport |
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- The University of Alabama will pay the city of Birmingham more than $1 million to move three home games from Legion Field to Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa over the next three seasons.
Athletics Director Bob Bockrath announced Friday night the home games with Auburn and Tennessee between 1999 and 2001 would be moved to the campus. The university will pay $350,000 for each game moved and guarantee play of four additional games at Legion Field beyond the current contract, which extends through the 2001 season.
"This represents a significant event in Alabama football history," Bockrath said. "Although both Tennessee and Auburn have played football games in Tuscaloosa in the past, only Tennessee has played a game in what is now Bryant-Denny Stadium."
Bockrath added that the agreement with Birmingham Mayor Richard Arrington ensures that all future Southeastern Conference games will be played at Bryant-Denny.
Tennessee will play in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 23 next season; Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000 and Tennessee on Oct. 20, 2001.
In exchange, Legion Field will host one Alabama non-conference football game in 2002, 2003, 2005 and either 2007 or 2008.
The original contract with Legion Field was set to conclude following the 2001 season.
The university completed a $35 million expansion of Bryant-Denny last year, adding about 13,000 seats and 81 skyboxes. The expansion boosted the stadium capacity to 83,817 seats, including a 10,000-seat upper deck.
"[Arrington] understands our needs and desires to have as many games as possible in our newly-renovated stadium," Bockrath said. "At the same time, he was very protective of Birmingham's interest in keeping Alabama football a visible part of that city's landscape."
The switch also means Alabama will be able to host recruits on campus for its biggest games.
"This will be a tremendous help for our football recruiting efforts," said Tide coach Mike DuBose, who has often called the Legion Field games a detriment to recruiting. "Our stadium is a great selling point in recruiting and the more we can showcase that facility, the better it is for us."
Tennessee first played in Tuscaloosa in 1913, again in 1928 and finally in 1930. Auburn visited Tuscaloosa in 1895 and 1901, but only the 1930 Tennessee team played in what is now Bryant-Denny
Stadium. The other games were played on the Quad and at Denny Field. The George Hutchenson Denny Stadium was dedicated on Sept. 28, 1929 and had a capacity of 12,000.
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