Alabama football didn’t have quite the same crowd for Kalen DeBoer’s A-Day debut as it did for Nick Saban. Still, the 72,358 announced fans in attendance is no small number.

Saban’s first A-Day was a landmark moment for the program in 2007, with over 92,000 fans packing inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Speaking at the Crimson Tide’s Walk of Fame ceremony on Saturday, Saban recalled that day.

“For 17 years of your support, which made the program what it is,” Saban said. “When we stepped on this campus 17 years ago and there were 95,000 people for the A-Day game, that set the tone for what Alabama was gonna become, what this program was gonna become. And it was all because of you being a part of the team and the support that you gave us.”

The spring game took a different format under DeBoer, who took over for the retired Saban. The offense and the defense were pitted against each other, with both sides able to score points.

Ahead of the game, which is being aired on ESPN, DeBoer spoke of how excited he was to see the Tide’s fans in Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first time.

“It gives us a chance to really also celebrate what we’re doing and where we’re at and enjoy the moment with the fans,” DeBoer said Thursday. “So excited to see a packed stadium there and looking forward to seeing everyone come and support our program.”