Alabama News

General

The bizarre tale of Alabama’s marble tombstone castle

Did you know that Sylacauga, Ala., was once home to what was likely (hopefully?) the world’s only service station made of tombstones? Yep. It was even featured in the Ripley’s Believe It or Not newspaper feature.

Called the Marble Castle, the building was constructed from discarded veterans’ headstones carved from Sylacauga’s pristine white marble.

According to Ruth Cook’s book “Magic in Stone: The Story of Sylacauga Marble,” the building was constructed ca. 1940 by Sylacauga banker L.L. Smith.

(Note: Research turned up several conflicting dates about when this building was constructed and when it changed hands. I tried to determine which dates made the most sense and linked the sources. If you see misinformation, email [email protected]).

Historian Bettye Lessley explained on the website for B.B. Comer Memorial Library, “Prior to 1940 many of the men who were employed by the local marble quarries were making marble markers for the graves of America’s soldiers. These markers were to be a certain size, and they had to meet specifications. They had to be perfect. However, sometimes a stone would be chipped and could not be used as a tombstone. Although these stones, plus the footstones were made of the finest Alabama marble, they were put aside, and the pile of rejected markers grew larger.”

The building was “a very beautiful but expensive-looking filling station … probably the only one like it in the world,” Lessley said. At varying times, the building housed a café as well as the service station.

For many years, Lessley said, tourists driving through Sylacauga stopped at the Castle for snacks, oil, gas or a new tire, making it the perfect “advertisement for Sylacauga marble.”

Ray and Nell Dobson bought the Marble Castle Service Station in 1957, according to Nell Dobson’s obituary.

After the Dobsons, the Marble Castle was owned by John Merchant, who tore down the water-damaged second floor of the building that had been used as living quarters.

The Sylacauga City Council granted Merchant a license to sell beer at the business in 1974.

A Jan. 8, 1976, article in The Birmingham News announced that Merchant was attempting to sell the castle so he could retire. He apparently was unable to sell it and the building was later torn down. There were no records stating when the building was demolished.

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Auburn football’s burning questions ahead of SEC Media Day

We are 60 days out from the College football season, and the midpoint of that countdown centers around conference media days.

SEC Football Media Days are July 14-17 (Monday-Thursday) at Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park and The College Football Hall of Fame.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze will speak on day two of the event alongside Kirby Smart, Josh Heupel and Steve Sarkisian.

For Auburn, this year is important as Freeze looks to give Auburn its first winning season since going 6-5 in 2020. With a roster built to compete in the SEC, the results must translate this fall.

Here’s five burning questions that still need answers across the Tigers roster ahead of SEC Media Day:

Will Deuce Knight see the field against SEC opponents?

Freeze reiterated all offseason that Jackson Arnold will be the starting quarterback for Auburn this fall. However, with a talent like Deuce Knight it’s hard to imagine him sitting the bench the entire season.

The chances of fans seeing Knight in the season opener at Baylor are rare. But the next three out of conference games will make for opportunity to possibly get playing time.

Last season we saw Hank Brown play one half of a conference game. Walker White got zero SEC snaps, leading to him transferring. If things take on a repeat of last season, Knight very well may be under center at some point.

Who is the solidified starting tight end heading into fall camp?

After losing Rivaldo Fairweather last season, Auburn’s tight end room has some uncertainty heading into fall camp.

Brandon Fraizer is returning from a foot injury that sidelined him for majority of last season. He’ll compete with transfer addition Preston Howard as the two pass catching tight ends.

Former offensive lineman Tate Johnson switched to tight end over the offseason, as Auburn plans to use him for blocking purposes. With the number of bodies at this position, this will be one of several positions to rotate players all season long.

Which freshman safety has the best chances of playing this season?

Young talents like Sylvester Smith and Kaleb Harris stepped up huge in Auburn’s secondary last season.

Now Auburn brings in highly touted prospects like AnQuon Fegans and Eric Winters at that same position, it will be interesting to see how that position group develops throughout the year.

Both Fegans and Winters showed promise during Auburn’s spring football period, intercepting passes against the first team offense.

Who will be the starting kicker?

Last season Auburn’s kicking was up and down, dealing with Alex McPherson’s illness and utilizing two first-year kickers.

After Ian Vachon announced his plans to transfer in the spring, Auburn will look to McPherson and Southern Miss. transfer Conner Gibbs in that position.

If McPherson is unable to kick again, Gibbs has the college experience to succeed at Auburn. It also provides more veteran mentorship for returning sophomore Towns McGough.

Which wide receiver has the best chance to reach 1,000 yards?

This has been a revolving question for Auburn fans in the last 25 years.

With Cam Coleman entering the season as one of the top wide receivers in the conference, he has high hopes of reaching that mark for the Tigers.

Breaking down the talent in the room, not having a 1,000-yard receiver won’t necessarily be a failure for Auburn either.

Having guys like Eric Singleton, Horatio Fields, Perry Thompson and Malcom Simmons. Auburn could spread the ball around evenly and easily have multiple receivers with 500 or more yards this fall.

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3or email him at [email protected].

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Casagrande: Golfing Hugh Freeze shanks another one

This is an opinion column.

You can’t lose a college football game in June.

Fact.

But the internet? Or goodwill with a fanbase?

That’s very much in play. And let’s just say Hugh Freeze is in the rough. Perhaps, one could say, in need of relief.

It’s a hard truth when he’s lost 14 games in the months of September, October, November and December. He’s worn that albatross since the end of last season so that’s not headline news as we approach July.

It’s how Freeze continues to respond (or not respond) that’s losing the online mob.

You see, the coach entering Year 3 enjoys golfing. It’s a great way to unwind and even people with important jobs have been known to hit the links. People with much more important jobs than Freeze waste time there.

The internet, however, holds everyone accountable.

One user of the AuburnLive message board (hosted by On3) was the watchdog this program needed. It was a post from johnnybarn at 12:42 p.m. CT Monday that seemed to get this started.

This budding investigative reporter searched the United States Golf Association’s database of golf scores and he found something important.

Turns out Freeze has recorded 10 rounds of golf in the first 20 days of June in the database that tracks official handicaps. AL.com reporter Matt Stahl did his own research and confirmed that number. He’s played 10 rounds in June and at least 20 since the start of the 2025 calendar year.

Stahl also searched the rest of the SEC coaching tree and found a few entered scores for rounds played this year but none have logged as much course time as Freeze.

And those 10 rounds in June are more critical than they seem. Games aren’t won or lost in the sixth month but recruits can be.

And the Tigers lost three in the last few weeks.

Good ones.

So, while recruiting classes aren’t judged five months before the first signing day, Auburn’s 2026 class currently ranks 87th in the 247Sports composite. That’s two sports behind Freeze’s old employer, Liberty and one spot ahead of James Madison.

The June calendar is full of recruiting opportunities, too. The Hugh Freeze Football camps website lists nine days between June 1 and June 14 where events are taking place on campus. That includes Elite camps, 7 on 7s and more.

It’s impossible to say how Freeze’s golf rounds line up with this calendar because the USGA’s site only includes the month of the rounds and not the exact dates.

But you can do the math.

It doesn’t align with a football coach doing everything he can (or at least present) to correct the regression of this program. Of all people, Freeze doesn’t seem like someone who needs a lesson on avoiding a public paper trail but here we are.

Let’s not act like Freeze is hitting the course with nuclear codes trusted with avoiding a World War. He’s a football coach making $6.7 million last year, a proven winner hired to erase the wrongs of the last loser and restore Auburn to the elite.

He’s certainly made strides in his first two recruiting classes. Both were top 10. This one could be too by December but a slow start paired with all that golf isn’t the look that inspires the fanbase.

We wrote a few weeks about Freeze’s lukewarm assurances of progress through the pleas for patience. That same day, an interview with Freeze was published on ESPN’s website in which he said he probably needs a third recruiting class “to get where we need to be.”

At the very least, it’s a tough look when this program needs forward momentum and not more noise.

The online hivemind churned hard enough Monday evening that Brian Shultz of Auburn’s Rivals page felt the need to post the following on X.

“The rumor going around that Hugh Freeze is even considering stepping down as Auburn’s head coach is completely false. It’s also dumb,” Shultz posted at 5:04 p.m. in a tweet that was viewed more than 38,000 times by Tuesday afternoon.

A rumor doesn’t have to be close to true to do damage. Just Google “The Streisand effect.”

It got enough oxygen to add another paper cut to an offseason that continues to lack the urgency you’d like to see after an embarrassing 2024 football season.

FORE!

Freeze shanked another one.

Not a traditional loss, but another online setback at a time he could really use some wins.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

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Alabama’s ’66 team denied shot at 3rd straight national championship

EDITOR’S NOTE: Every day until Aug. 29, Creg Stephenson is counting down significant numbers in Alabama football history, both in the lead-up to the 2025 football season and in commemoration of the Crimson Tide’s first national championship 100 years ago. The number could be attached to a year, a uniform number or even a football-specific statistic. We hope you enjoy.

Since the formation of the Associated Press poll in 1936, no team has won three consecutive national championships.

An Alabama team from nearly 50 years ago was in position to do so, but was denied the opportunity. Politics, among other factors, played a role.

Paul “Bear” Bryant’s Crimson Tide had won national titles in 1964 and 1965, but took different routes to get there.

The 1964 team — led by Joe Namath — began the season 11-0 before losing to Texas in the Orange Bowl. However, the AP gave out its national title before the bowl games, and Alabama was voted No. 1.

In 1965, Alabama lost its season-opener to Georgia and later tied Tennessee. But because the AP chose that year to hold its final vote after the bowl games, the third-ranked Crimson Tide was able to take home the title after it beat Nebraska in the Orange Bowl and No. 1 Michigan State and No. 2 Arkansas both lost on New Year’s Day.

Alabama was No. 1 in the preseason AP poll to begin 1966, but dropped to No. 2 behind Michigan State despite not playing on the season’s opening weekend. (The Spartans beat NC State 28-10 in East Lansing.)

Even with its undefeated record and consecutive national championships, Alabama remained stuck at No. 3 or No. 4 for the remainder of the regular season. Notre Dame jumped ahead of Michigan State in mid-October, despite the fact the Spartans — like the Crimson Tide and Fighting Irish — remained unbeaten.

Not that it mattered in the case of Michigan State and Notre Dame; they would settle it on the field when they met in South Bend on Nov. 19. Or so everyone thought …

The Spartans and Fighting Irish tied 10-10 in controversial fashion. Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian, knowing his team could all but lock up the national championship with a tie, chose to run out the clock in the final minutes rather than try for a go-ahead score.

The deadlock in South Bend resulted in howls of protest, and not just from Alabama. Sports Illustrated’s Dan Jenkins, then the most well-known college football writer in the country, chided Parseghian and Notre Dame in a story published on Nov. 28, 1966.

“Old Notre Dame will tie over all,” Jenkins wrote. “Sing it out, guys. That is not exactly what the march says, of course, but that is how the big game ends every time you replay it. And that is how millions of cranky college football fans will remember it.”

Led by quarterback Ken Stabler, Alabama finished up its schedule with four consecutive shutouts — over LSU, South Carolina, Southern Miss and Auburn — to complete a 10-0 regular season. The SEC champion Crimson Tide was invited to the Sugar Bowl to once again face Nebraska.

Notre Dame and Michigan State, however, stayed home. The Fighting Irish at the time had a school policy to not play in bowl games (and wouldn’t do so until the 1970 Cotton Bowl vs. Texas), while Michigan State was hamstrung by a Big Ten rule that prevented a team from playing in the Rose Bowl two years in a row (Purdue went instead).

But by that time, Notre Dame had already been voted No. 1 in both polls (which switched back to a pre-bowl vote in 1966). Michigan State was No. 2, Alabama No. 3. (For what it’s worth, a Football Writers Association of America panel also voted Notre Dame No. 1 after the bowl games had been played.)

Benny Marshall, writing in The Birmingham News on Dec. 6, 1966, the day after the AP poll was released, described Alabama as “a champion who never lost a round.” He also quoted a rather discouraged-sounding Bryant.

“The voters have spoken,” the coach said. “I don’t agree, but that’s that. I congratulate two great teams with great coaches.”

So what was the rationale for voters listing the undefeated, two-time defending national champions third in the country? It’s impossible to say with 100% certainty, but it’s likely that politics played a role.

Alabama and the SEC were still segregated at the time, and would be until a few years later. Notre Dame integrated its team for the first time in 1952, while Michigan State by 1966 had numerous top Black players, including All-Americans Bubba Smith and George Webster.

So was the Crimson Tide being punished for maintaining an all-white team during the height of the Civil Rights era? That’s more likely than not.

The face of that attitude was Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray, who had been attacking Alabama for years for its segregated ways. And he wasn’t going to resist another chance to do so in 1966.

“I saw your team, Bear,” Murray wrote in a column addressed to Bryant and published Dec. 6, 1966. “Right nice little bunch of boys. Too monotonous, though. I mean they were all one color. … I admit USC had one too many colored boys in its backfield when it played Notre Dame. The one-too-many was Notre Dame’s end, Alan Page.”

Though the national championship was decided, Alabama still had a game to play. The Crimson Tide crushed Nebraska 34-7 in the Sugar Bowl to finish 11-0.

It was Alabama’s first unbeaten and untied team since 1961, and one of just three Bryant would coach (1979 was the other). Asked afterward how good his team was, Bryant didn’t mince words.

“It’s the greatest football team I’ve ever been associated with,” he said. “It’s the greatest football team I ever saw.”

Alabama has come close to three straight titles two other time since 1966. The 1977 team went 11-1 and won its bowl game, but was jumped in the polls — by Notre Dame, of course — and finished No. 2. The Crimson Tide then won national championships in 1978 and 1979.

Nick Saban’s Alabama teams won titles in 2011 and 2012, then was undefeated and ranked No. 1 for most of 2013. That team succumbed to the Kick Six in the Iron Bowl and fell out of the national championship race.

But perhaps none ever got closer to a third straight title than the 1966 “Missing Ring” team, which has been immortalized in the excellent 2006 Keith Dunnavant book of the same name.

Coming Thursday: Our countdown to kickoff continues with No. 65, as we take a look at some unheralded recruits who became All-Americans, including one who wore that number.

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Bob Jones volleyball star, UAB signee named Huntsville Times Female Athlete of the Year

Jenny Jarrett remembers some of Kennedy Vaughn’s earliest experiences with volleyball.

Even then, she saw something in the young player.

“My daughter, Meg, actually played with her when she was like 11 on the club team, and so we got to see her when she was really young, and her first experience with volleyball,” the Bob Jones coach said. “She really put in a lot of hours and developed over the years with her extra work.”

Plenty of hard work led to a senior season full of All-American honors, all-state recognition and a Gatorade state volleyball Player of the Year award as a senior, along with one more honor before she hits the court at the college level.

Vaughn has been named the 2024-25 Huntsville Times Female Athlete of the Year, which honors the top athlete in the Huntsville area regardless of sport.

“Kennedy really stepped up this year,” Jarrett said of Vaughn. “She’s been a great player for us throughout our career, but she really developed into a leader; not just a good player providing the volleyball skills, but she led our team and in other ways, and so that was really neat to see.

“When I first started coaching at Bob Jones, she was kind of this shy, quiet kid that didn’t say much and played pretty good. It was just really neat to watch her develop into a mature and vocal leader on the court. That’s really neat.”

A UAB signee, Vaughn helped guide Bob Jones (52-10) to another appearance in the Class 7A state championship as a senior with the Patriots.

She finished her season with 714 kills, 354 digs, 65 aces and 56 blocks for the Patriots, also claiming American Volleyball Coaches Association second team All-American honors to go along with Gatorade state volleyball Player of the Year.

At the state level, she claimed AL.com Huntsville region Player of the Year honors and was a Class 7A first-team all-state honoree after surpassing 2,000 career kills her senior season.

“Obviously, she’s blessed physically, she has the athleticism that some other players don’t have, but then she also has a lot of drive and has worked really hard for a long time,” Jarrett said. “She was really quiet and a little afraid of going after that big kill or that big block, initially she kind of waited to see.

“As she got older and got more experience, then she really put the team on her back and carried a lot of times we had a great team. We’ve had a lot of success, so it definitely took more than just her, but she definitely stood out as a leader.”

Her and fellow 2025 signee Riley Lovell will join the UAB volleyball team with fellow Bob Jones alum Meg Jarrett, who played in 19 matches last season as a freshman with the Blazers.

Jarrett said the signing of Vaughn will be “great” for UAB, which also has Ohatchee alum Jorda Crook on its roster.

“We’re going to have three kids there, and so it’s fun to see them get to the next level in their career,” Jarrett said. “Kennedy’s still got more that she could grow into, so it’s going to be really cool to see how much they develop her and how successful she’ll be on that kind of stage.”

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Dear Abby: My fiancé hates that I spend money on him

DEAR ABBY: I am a giver by nature. This is how I show my love. I like to cook, knit, sew and buy gifts for the people who matter most to me. I have recently noticed that when I buy gifts for my fiance, he looks them up to see how much I paid for them. He isn’t doing this to say I spent too little, but rather to say I spend “way too much” on him.

I consider what he’s been doing to be rude, and I told him so. I also told him it is none of his business how much I spent on him. Am I wrong? — GIVING OF MYSELF IN ILLINOIS

DEAR GIVING: I think you overreacted by becoming defensive. Rather than scold your fiance because he chided you for spending the amount you have on his gifts, it could have been handled more delicately.

All you needed to say was, “To me you are priceless. I get great pleasure when I find something I think you can use and will enjoy. Please stop looking a gift horse in the mouth.”

P.S. Make sure you are both on the same page regarding finances BEFORE you are married.

Read more Dear Abby and other advice columns.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

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Asking Eric: Joint family birthday party puts burden on one side only

Dear Eric: My son will soon be turning 13, as will my niece. They were born a week apart. I usually host a family pool party for my son’s birthday, but my brother and his wife do not arrange a family party for their daughter. (They also have a nice yard with a pool.).

Instead, they have a party for her and her friends without inviting family. When they show up for my son’s party, family members arrive with gifts for their daughter’s birthday, and I feel like my son has to share his birthday every year with his cousin.

My brother and his wife do not contribute financially nor with prep, serving, cooking or clean-up, so essentially, I am giving their daughter a party as well.

A few years ago, I suggested we combine parties together which they agreed to, but since I had “more people than them,” my mother forbade me from asking them to contribute. I told this to my sister-in-law when she attempted to give me money, and rather than insist she happily put her money back in her wallet. They make more money than me. I’m a divorced mom on one income. I certainly know this is not my niece’s fault, but how do I communicate to them that I don’t want to share my son’s birthday?

– Feeling Frustrated And Used

Dear Frustrated: Her intentions may have been good, but your mother’s edict was not helpful. I’m not quite sure why she feels the need to insert herself in this at all. You’re an adult, as is your sister-in-law; it’s none of her business how the costs get split up.

And it makes sense that you share the burden, if this has become a de facto joint party over the years. After more than a decade of doing this, it wouldn’t be surprising to find that your family members all think of this as your son and niece’s party. It is more than OK for you to revisit the conversation with your brother and sister-in-law, acknowledge the reality of what’s going on, and work together on a solution.

And if your mom has thoughts or questions, tell her not to worry about it.

Another thing you might want to consider, is the possibility that this party might be on the verge of changing. Talk to your son about how he wants to celebrate. Maybe he’s really eager for a friends-centric party, too. That might be quite healthy for him, and a lot of fun. If you do change it, though, I’d give a heads up to the family so they can adjust their expectations, and no one accuses you of undercutting your niece.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

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Iconic rocker has emergency surgery following show: ‘Thought it was food poisoning’

Steven Van Zandt revealed on Monday he had emergency surgery for appendicitis while on tour with Bruce Springsteen.

“Got a sharp pain in my stomach, thought it was food poisoning, turned out to be appendicitis,” Van Zandt, 74, posted to social media. “Got lucky with an exceptional hospital in San Sebastian.

“Operation was a complete success and I’m hoping to get back on stage for at least one of the shows in Milan. Thank you all for all the good vibes. See you soon.”

Van Zandt, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the group in 2014, is on Land of Hope and Dreams Tour with Springsteen and the E Street Band.

The tour is set to conclude on July 3 at San Siro Stadium in Milan.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

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Water works, Hurricane vocabulary: Down in Alabama

On the podcast we’ll be going over a handful of hurricane vocabulary. That might especially be helpful for newcomers to the state, so feel free to share the podcast episode with your friends.

Whose water?

So long, Birmingham Water Works. If you’re a customer, you’ll now be paying Central Alabama Water.

The name change was passed by the Board 5-2, with both board members from Birmingham voting against and all members from outside the city voting for the change, reports AL.com’s Joseph D. Bryant.

And it didn’t sit well with Birmingham officials.

Said Councilwoman Carol Clarke: “I’m curious what the cost is going to be, because you’ve got to rebrand every vehicle, every uniform, repaint every water tower, and for what? Birmingham is a city and a region so it makes no sense.”

A new state law regionalized the water-works board and took majority control away from the city of Birmingham. That’s led to 5-2 splits on several issues.

And not always a happy 5-2 split, either, as the Board navigated through some tense moments. Board Chairman Tommy Hudson began Tuesday’s meeting by saying the Board will follow bylaws that limit member comments to two per issue, mandating that all questions be directed toward him, and prohibiting disparaging remarks.

Don’t feed the bear

People in and near Coastal Alabama are accustomed to bear sightings. Some are being seen in North Alabama as well, with a few recently turning up in Huntsville.

AL.com’s Scott Turner reports that now at least one bear is being spotted in Athens.

I recommend that citizens take Athens Police Chief Anthony Pressnell’s wisdom to heart: “We ask that you please do not agitate the bear, try to feed it, or try to take a selfie with it. If you see the bear, you can call us. We are staying in contact with Wildlife. Our hope is the bear will return to a more remote area.”

Do not agitate the bear, folks.

Here’s an interesting note that Scott reported: The Coastal Alabama bears and North Alabama bears are actually different subspecies. In Lower Alabama we have the Florida black bear, while the Athens visitor is an American black bear whose bear relatives have migrated over from Georgia.

Tuberville on street protests

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is among Republicans on Capitol Hill who want to make it a federal crime to intentionally block or delay traffic on a public road, reports AL.com’s Heather Gann.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, wrote the Safe and Open Streets Act.

A release from Tuberville indicates that it is a response to the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles: “The First Amendment gives us the right to freedom of assembly, but it doesn’t give the right to block our streets and put American lives at risk.”

Cut out the lights

Here’s a story that’s local but can apply to anyone who’d like to save a buck on a utility bill.

Huntsville Utilities is asking folks to try to use less power during peak hours while this heat wave in on us, reports AL.com’s John R. Roby.

That means cut back on using dishwashers, washers, dryers, ovens and stoves from noon until 8 p.m. And — something I’ve heard myself say more than a few times — cut off lights when you’re not using them.

The TVA has put into effect its “Emergency Load Curtailment Program.” That’s standard procedure when demand is expected to rise. The TVA managed to get through its highest all-time peak demand in January without grid problems.

By the numbers

$591 million

That’s the size of Birmingham’s budget, as passed by the City Council on Tuesday.

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Senior Bowl flying new colors with title sponsor Panini

The Senior Bowl’s new title sponsor, Panini, will expand the “visibility” of Mobile’s annual all-star football game, according to the game’s executive director.

But another kind of visibility comes with the change from Reese’s to Panini as the title sponsor, starting with a new logo and continuing to the first Panini Senior Bowl on Jan. 31, where “there will be no orange” in the uniforms, Panini’s Jason Howarth said.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl had featured orange and brown as the primary uniform colors throughout the candy company’s 12 years as the game’s title sponsor, reflecting the packaging of its flagship peanut-butter cups.

“I can tell you it’s going to be red, white and blue again,” the Senior Bowl’s Drew Fabianich said about the 2026 game uniforms. “And there could be stars involved in it, too.”

Fabianich, the Senior Bowl’s executive director, and Howarth, the senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations at Panini America, were at an announcement party on Tuesday at Crown Hall in Mobile that celebrated the new title sponsorship, which had been revealed on Tuesday morning.

Panini will serve as the Senior Bowl’s title sponsor for the next five years – or, as Howarth put it, “a minimum of five years.”

Panini, the world’s largest licensed sports- and entertainment-collectibles company, had served as the Senior Bowl’s trading-card provider, player-lounge sponsor and practice sponsor before stepping up to title sponsor.

“I keep saying this has been years in the making,” Howarth said. “This is not something that happened overnight. We started out as a partner with the Senior Bowl in 2020 and managed to get through that tough one in 2021 and COVID and worked through that and worked really closely with the Senior Bowl staff. And that collaboration just seemed so natural with them that we started to continue to progress.

“We felt like at some point there’d be a day when this would be called the Panini Senior Bowl, and I’m so excited that today’s the day we get to celebrate that. We believe in this game more than any other game out there. We have direct relationships with these athletes that are going to play in this game.”

Panini’s products include NIL college football trading cards.

The Senior Bowl and its new title sponsor also had checks for two additions under the Senior Bowl Charities umbrella — the Child Advocacy Center of Mobile and the Africatown Community Development Corporation.

“We’re excited to be a part of the Mobile community,” Howarth said. “I feel like we’ve been a part of the Mobile community for the last five years. Now we’re just taking it to the next level. …

“One of the things we talked about with the Senior Bowl staff and Drew is: How do we dive into this community and not just make this feel like a thing we’re a part of for one week a year? And so we’re excited that we’re adding some new charitable partners.”

The Panini Senior Bowl will be played at 1:30 p.m. CST Jan. 31 at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The Panini Senior Bowl will be the 76th annual all-star game in Mobile after the first Senior Bowl was played in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1950.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

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