Alabama football’s annual spring game, A-Day, will be held on April 13 with a 3 p.m. kickoff, the team announced Thursday.

The novelty of this year’s scrimmage is high following Nick Saban’s retirement. His first spring game famously drew more than 92,000 fans in 2007. New UA coach Kalen DeBoer will get to showcase his reloaded roster while the new voice of the Crimson Tide, Chris Stewart, will call it from the booth.

Speaking to Tide 100.9′s Ryan Fowler on Tuesday, DeBoer commented on whether he’ll retain the usual A-Day format: “I haven’t (decided) yet. A lot of it is based on the roster. I’d love to keep the format that it’s been; I know the fans love it. We need to make sure everything we do is strategic and building up toward us getting better and maximizing every practice. … Expecting a great A-Day crowd once again, and it should be a lot of fun for our guys. That’s a ways down the road, and we have a lot of work to do before then, but it will come fast as you know.”

UA’s last spring game took place on April 22, 2023, with an earlier kickoff under a blistering Tuscaloosa sun. The roster was split for teams Crimson and White. The winners earned a steak dinner compared the losers’ can of beans. The Running of the Gumps, an autograph session for fans, was relegated to a paid event with Alabama’s NIL entity Yea, Alabama.

Last year’s showcase provided little clarity on Alabama’s open quarterback competition. This year, Jalen Milroe will be the incumbent against Ty Simpson, Dylan Lonergan and Washington transfer Austin Mack.

“I think if you look at the different skill sets we have, and obviously everyone looks at Jalen [Milroe] and sees his ability to be mobile and run the football, that’s an added weapon. That also makes everyone around him better. Extra eyes are in the backfield, so there’s a lot of different ways it can go. You need a guy who’s poised, a guy who, when the big moments come, is confident and his teammates feel that,” DeBoer said of quarterbacks adjusting to his system.

A-Day will also be a showcase of new offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. DeBoer told ESPN’s Chris Low that Sheridan is set to call plays this fall.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].