How Alabama football will honor Nick Saban with field renaming ceremonies
Alabama football announced more details for Saturday’s ceremonies honoring Nick Saban at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The name of the gridiron at the stadium he coached in for 17 seasons will be renamed Saban Field.
According to a press release, the first part of Saturday’s ceremony will take place on the Walk of Champions outside BDS, around 2:30 p.m. CT. Saban will speak, as will athletics director Greg Byrne and UA president Stuart Bellm before the new stadium signage is revealed.
After the unveiling, Saban and his family will enter the stadium. There will be a second ceremony held at halftime.
That one will come after the Million Dollar Band’s performance. Saban will be recognized on the field.
“It’s gonna be an awesome night, having the field named in honor of coach,” Saban’s successor, Kalen DeBoer, said earlier this week. “That’s really, really something special. It’s one of those things where you’re gonna play in it and you know what’s happening but being a part of the ceremony is something the team really can’t do. We’re in the middle of probably pregame meal and some of that type of prep work.
“But just to have that, the whole honor for coach Saban, everything he’s done here, I know how much that will mean to him. It’s something that I know we have a lot of respect for and gonna make sure that we continue to do everything we can to make it our house and protect our field from here on out just like it’s been in the 17 years that he was here.”
Alabama faces South Florida on Saturday, after beating Western Kentucky 63-0 in its first game without Saban. The game is scheduled to kick off at 6:00 p.m. CT and will be aired on ESPN.