Alabama will return to New Orleans for the 17th time, bringing Crimson Tide fans back for another good time in the Big Easy.

Bama will play Big 12 champions Kansas State inside Caesars Superdome on Saturday morning, bringing the 2022 season to a close.

Nick Saban’s team fell short of their national championship aspirations, but they can finish the season strong and give the program a record 46 bowl victories.

With the help of the official Sugar Bowl website, we gathered some useful information to help you navigate game day in NOLA.

VENUE: Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La.

GATES OPEN: 9 a.m.

KICKOFF: 11 a.m.

TV: ESPN

TICKETS: Still available.

THE GAME!

Alabama finished the 2022 regular season with two losses but a solid case to make the College Football Playoff. Unfortunately, the committee went a different way, sending the Tide to New Orleans for another Sugar Bowl consolation game.

Bama fans have seen what can happen to a Nick Saban team when they fall short of their goals only to play a “meaningless” bowl game against a talented non-conference foe (see: Utah in 2008, Oklahoma in 2013). But the Sugar Bowl remains a college football mainstay, and the Tide have a perfect opportunity to put together their best game against a pesky Wildcat team who took down TCU in the Big 12 title game.

Last year’s Heisman winner Bryce Young and his teammate and defensive superstar Will Anderson Jr. (winner of the Bednarik, Lombardi and Nagurski awards) opted to play instead of skip the bowl and prepare for the NFL Draft (should they forgo their senior seasons, of course), giving Bama a much-needed boost heading into Saturday.

Kansas State will be the home team and will occupy the home bench on the west sideline of the Superdome while Alabama will occupy the visitor bench on the east sideline, which means the Tide will wear white on Saturday. In non-semifinal years, the Big 12 and the SEC alternate home and visitor designations annually (the SEC was the home team in the last Sugar Bowl).

Saturday will be the first time Alabama and Kansas State play each other in football. This marks the Crimson Tide’s 17th Sugar Bowl appearance (with a 9-7 record), as well as the their eighth trip to a New Year’s Six bowl (in the current format which began in 2014). Alabama’s Sugar Bowl record under Nick Saban: 1-3.

Can Bama play their best game of the year and dominate Kansas State, or will the Wildcats exploit the inconsistencies that took the Tide out of playoff contention?

TICKETS

A limited number of tickets for this year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl are currently on sale. Fans may purchase tickets by visiting Ticketmaster.com. This is the ONLY way to purchase Allstate Sugar Bowl tickets straight from the source. You can find tickets for as low as $21.

SUGAR BOWL NEW YEAR’S PARADE

The official Allstate Sugar Bowl New Year’s Parade — a Mardi Gras-style parade with floats, bands and more — will take place Friday. The parade, which is scheduled for the afternoon of December 30, 2022 (scheduled for 2:30 p.m.), will start at the intersection of Elysian Fields Avenue and Decatur Street. It will travel through the French Quarter up Decatur Street along the Mississippi River, passing iconic landmarks such as The Old US Mint, the French Market, Cafe du Monde and Jackson Square.

The parade will be broadcast live by WDSU-TV in New Orleans and will be simulcast on WVTM-TV in Birmingham. The parade is scheduled to pass the WDSU main stage at Oscar Dunn Park across from Jackson Square, where the station will set up its live coverage. The parade will wrap up at Canal Street. Learn more.

ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL TAILGATE TOWN

Fans attending the Sugar Bowl can converge on Champion Square at the Caesars Superdome for the Allstate Sugar Bowl Tailgate Town, the official pregame party.

Gates open at 9 a.m. Fans must have a game ticket to access Tailgate Town, which will have food, interactive games and entertainment. You’ll find Tailgate Town on the east side of the dome along Lasalle Street. Learn more.

PARKING

The Caesars Superdome/Smoothie King Center/Champions Square complex has seven parking garages for public parking and two surface lots, which can accommodate approximately 7,000 vehicles. The public parking garages are designated #1, #1A, #2, #2A, #5, #6 and Champions Garage. The surface lots are designated as Lot 3 and Lot 4.

Parking in the Superdome garages for the Allstate Sugar Bowl is $35 upon entry on game day on a first come, first served basis. The garages will open at 7 a.m. Pre-paid parking for the Allstate Sugar Bowl is available via Park Whiz.

STADIUM ENTRY

All ticketing is mobile. The Superdome grounds, including the outdoor plaza and Champions Square for Allstate Sugar Bowl Tailgate Town, will open two hours before kickoff (9 a.m.). The Sugar Bowl website says fans can access Superdome grounds at any of the outdoor entry points. When ready to enter the stadium, you can proceed to the gate listed on your mobile ticket. Once you have had your ticket scanned to access the Superdome grounds, you will not be able to exit the grounds and re-enter.

Due to ongoing construction in and around the Caesars Superdome, fans will have their tickets scanned at the entrances to the Exterior Concourse, according to the Sugar Bowl website. All individuals entering the Caesars Superdome are subject to an inspection of all personal belongings and required to pass through walk-through metal detectors. Bags that do not adhere to the specifications in the Clear Bag Policy below, in addition to the usual non-permissible items (see Non-Permissible Items below) will not be permitted in the Dome. Learn more about the clear bag policy and other stadium entry rules.

GAMEDAY ENTRY MAP

CASHLESS

The Superdome is a cashless venue. All purchases — including concessions, merchandise, parking, etc. — must be made with credit or debit cards. You can find Guest Services desks on the 100, 200 and 500 levels at Gates A, C and G to handle a conversion of cash to a Visa gift card if needed. There are no ATMs in the building. Visa cards are sold in $25 and $50 denominations and can be used at any point of sale location in the building including merchandise.

TWITTER

Stay up to date on Alabama before, during and after the game by following AL.com’s Michael Casagrande, Mike Rodak, Nick Alvarez, aldotcomTide or aldotcomSports on Twitter.

WEATHER

Friday: Showers and thunderstorms in the morning with a high near 71, followed by cloudy skies with an overnight low around 60 and a 40 percent chance of rain.

Saturday: Cloudy skies (gradually becoming mostly sunny) with a high near 70, followed by cloudy skies and an overnight low around 54.

Sunday: Mostly sunny skies with a high near 72, followed by cloudy skies and an overnight low around 63.

— The National Weather Service

NEW YEAR’S EVE IN NOLA

If you opt to spend the night in New Orleans after the game concludes mid-afternoon, you get to enjoy New Year’s Eve in one of the best places you can celebrate it.

The Visit New Orleans website has a terrific guide to help you ring in the New Year should you decide to venture out for a party in the Big Easy, including watching the Fleur de Lis drop and fireworks on the river. “Every New Year’s Eve, tourists and locals alike gather at Jackson Square for the Fleur de Lis drop,” the site says. “Comparable to the ball drop in New York City, this annual tradition is fun for all ages, with fireworks once the clock strikes midnight. Hop aboard the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen or Steamboat NATCHEZ for a different vantage point.”

For kids, visit Louisiana Children’s Museum’s “Noon Year’s Eve” featuring a countdown to noon, culminating in an explosion of colorful confetti and bubbles. The museum will be open from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC

• The Visit New Orleans site also listed some great live music opportunities on NYE, including Galactic New Year’s Eve presented by Tipitina’s featuring performances from Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, Galactic, and Pimps of Joytime.
• The Civic Theater will host to DJ Soul Sister’s 20th Annual New Year’s Eve Soul Train.
• Bluegrass musician Billy Strings will perform at the UNO Lakefront Arena on New Year’s Eve.
• BB’s Stage Door Canteen New Year’s Eve offers dinner and a show with live music from the Victory Swing Orchestra and a chocolate buffet at midnight.
• For more live music info, check the WWOZ Live Music Calendar.

Check the Visit New Orleans website to find more fun after the game.

MORE SPORTS

The New Orleans Pelicans, featuring former Alabama basketball stars Herb Jones and Kira Lewis Jr. (and Zion Williamson), will host Joel Embiid, James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers in the Smoothie King Center Friday at 6:30 p.m. Find tickets.

The New Orleans Saints are on the road to face the Philadelpha Eagles on New Year’s Day.

STORIES YOU WILL LOVE

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Smiling Will Anderson recalls Saban calling him ‘soft’ and how he ‘got him back’

What Pete Golding said in pre-Sugar Bowl news conference

What Bill O’Brien said about Alabama’s offense, 2022 season

Alabama vs. Kansas State is ‘mano a mano,’ and ‘I kind of like that,’ quarterback says

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Joseph Goodman: Criticism of Bill O’Brien deserves closer look

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