Alabama News

Despite former Alabama football quarterback Greg McElroy’s attempts to temper the madness, his Monday claim that he had heard from someone “in the know” that Nick Saban could return to coaching became the dominant story at SEC media days.

Ole Miss coach and former Saban assistant Lane Kiffin said it wouldn’t surprise him, but longtime Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart didn’t sound convinced on Tuesday.

When asked about it, Smart began with a joke.

“I called him and offered him (Will) Muschamp’s job,” Smart said in Atlanta, mentioning his former Bulldog co-defensive coordinator. “But he’s overqualified so he wasn’t interested.”

Smart worked at Alabama under Saban for nine seasons. He then headed back to his alma mater, where he’s won two national championships, even beating the Crimson Tide in the national title game for the 2021 season.

Smart acknowledged his old boss’ competitive fire but said he didn’t believe the rumor of a return.

“I heard all that scuttlebutt and everything about it, I almost laughed,” Smart said. “It was like somebody needed something interesting to talk about yesterday, so they chose to got to coach Saban and do it. The game’s better with him involved. He is involved. He is passionate about it. He and I still talk and share ideas from time to time about defensive philosophies and the way to do things.

“And he’s still watching tape and very, very involved in football. He loves it. And his brilliance, as brilliant as he is, is around football. I mean, it’s around scheme. It’s around another way to do something, to stay ahead of the offensive minds. And I think that’s one of the unique talents that he has, and he still loves that. He’s still passionate about that.”

Saban has moved into media since leaving Alabama in January 2024. He won an Emmy for his work on ESPN’s College Gameday show.

He’s also been enjoying the spoils of retirement, playing golf and spending time with family. Smart predicted Saban’s wife, Terry, might have something to say about a possible decision to return to coaching.

“Make no mistake about it,” Smart said. “The boss at home will make that call for him, not him.”

Kirby Smart didn’t get to leave his press conference at SEC Media Days without a question about one of college football’s premier matchups in 2025.

The final question of his time at the main stage Tuesday, Smart was asked for his thoughts on the rematch with Alabama football.

“It’s a great atmosphere just like we went into last year to play them, a night game on the road,” Smart said. “They’ll come to our place and play. A tremendous atmosphere. I know a lot of people from Tuscaloosa coming over to the game. Athens, the city of, loves it. We bring a great environment.”

A season ago, Alabama defeated Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium 41-34. This season, the Bulldogs will look to return the favor at Sanford Stadium.

“It’s what college football’s about,” Smart said. “This game is about playing great matchups like that. It’s what the fanbases want. It’s what the nation wants. It’s what college football needs. It’s what college football and the SEC is about. Georgia, Alabama at home at our place, wish it could happen more often. Seems like we’ve played over there three or four times since they’ve come to see us and play. It’s a great opportunity and looking forward to it.”

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

Auburn football will start the 2025 season on the big stage.

The Tigers are set to face Baylor in Week 1, a Power Four road game on a Friday before most of college football kicks off the season the next day.

It’s the first time Auburn has played a Power Four team in the season opener since 2020, a season in which Guz Malzahn was the head coach and the Tigers were playing an SEC-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Auburn opened the 2024 season against Alabama A&M, an FCS opponent that the Tigers pounded 73-3. One week later, Auburn lost a 21-14 turnover fest against Cal.

With the Power Four test coming in Week 1 — and on the road — it changes how the team approaches fall camp.

“There’s no question that our focus throughout fall camp should be heightened,” head coach Hugh Freeze said at SEC Media Days. “This is not a game that you open up with and you sleepwalk at all and expect to win, and that sense of urgency should be seen all throughout camp as we get ready for that one.”

Freeze called the game “vital,” as it could set the tone for a season in which Auburn expects take a step forward following two seven-loss seasons under Freeze. Baylor finished the 2024 season 85, winning its final six regular season games in a row before losing its bowl game to LSU.

“We’re going to be playing in a difficult environment against a really good football team as well, coached by Dave Aranda,” Freeze said. “I kind of get excited about that, and I think our kids will follow.”

Auburn will officially begin fall camp on July 29, exactly one month before the season opener at Baylor on Aug. 29. That game is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and will be televised on Fox.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

Our All-Star high school prediction panel continues its look at some key questions entering the 2025 season today.

Next up: Who is the most likely team to win a state championship among all seven AHSAA classifications and the AISA?

Not surprisingly, this answer was unanimous.

Here we go. …

Thomas Ashworth, AL.com

Jackson in Class 4A is one of — if not the — most loaded teams in the state regardless of classification. With Power Four playmakers everywhere on the field, I’m confident this team will make it back to Birmingham.

Simone Eli, WKRG-TV sports director

Jackson. It won’t be easy, but the Aggies are fully loaded for a return trip to Progressive Stadium and a 4A repeat. Jackson opens the season at home on Aug. 22 against Saraland in one of the season’s most anticipated games. Cody Flournoy’s team also hosts Gunner Rivers and semifinalist St. Michael on Oct. 3 at Legion Field in what could be the first of two meetings between those two teams for the second year in a row.

Randy Kennedy, AL.com and IHeart Radio

Jackson. It is rare that a Class 4A team is in the conversation as the best team in the state.

Gerhard Mathangani, WKRG-TV sports anchor and reporter

Jackson. Cody Flournoy’s seventh Jackson team may be his best yet. That is saying something considering the Aggies went 14-1 a year ago and won the school’s third state titles. The others came in 1979 and 2011. Loading No. 4 in 2025.

Ben Thomas, AL.com

Jackson. This is probably the easiest question of the bunch. The reigning 4A champ Aggies went 14-1 a year ago, losing only the opener at Class 6A runner-up Saraland. Cody Flournoy’s team destroyed Cherokee County 69-6 in the title game and returns QB Landon Duckworth, RB EJ Crowell, WR Keeyun “Red” Chapman and a host of other future college stars. If not for the Aggies, the pick here would be Class 7A Thompson.

John Vella, AL.com

Jackson Aggies. After demolishing Cherokee County 69-6 in last season’s state championship, Jackson looks primed and ready to repeat. The Aggies certainly aren’t ducking the competition again this season with non-region games vs Saraland, Demopolis and Baker.

Dennis Victory, AL.com

Class 4A Jackson. The Aggies have big-school talent and should be one of the best teams in the state, regardless of classification.

COMING WEDNESDAY: Mr. Football will be …….

Two parts of a Parkside development are coming together, beginning this week.

Fairway Social Birmingham, a virtual game and dining destination, is opening Thursday at Urban Supply, while its hidden speakeasy inside, The Lodge at Fairway Social, will open later this month.

Reservations are now available and can be booked online here.

Urban Supply is the latest project of downtown developer Orchestra Partners and combines the company’s signature concerns – restoration of historic properties, innovative use of outdoor spaces and the creation of walkable experiences.

Fairway Social and The Lodge are located at 114 13th St S.

In addition to being a full-service restaurant and bar, Fairway Social has a total of six Full Swing powered bays and a sports entertainment hub.

Signature cocktails and craft beer are served with elevated food choices amid an atmosphere of virtual and interactive games.

Diners can choice from more than 100 world-renowned golf courses, as well as baseball, football, soccer and more. There’s also Golden Tee Golf, cornhole and yard games.

The Lodge is billed as an intimate, speakeasy-style lounge hidden inside Fairway Social, with live music, duckpin bowling and signature cocktails.

Gaining entry also promises a bit of adventure. Guests will need to retrieve a scorecard from the host, find the secret entrance and crack a code to uncover the hidden door.

In addition to live music, it will also host events and stand-up comedy.

The more than 14,000-square-foot joint venue was designed by Monument and constructed by Shelby General Contractors.

Alpharetta, Ga.-based Competitive Social Ventures is the creator of Fairway Social. CEO Neal Freeman said this isn’t just about opening a new venue but “shaking things up and creating something that doesn’t exist here yet. Birmingham has energy, culture and creativity – and we feel honored to be a part of that.”

Orchestra Partners Principal Hunter Renfroe said he’s ready to play a round of golf.

“We are so excited to see Fairway Social and The Lodge open their doors at Urban Supply. I have been both impressed and humbled watching the Competitive Social Ventures team at work, crafting these unique spaces with such passion and commitment,” he said.

Fairway Social will operate from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with extended hours until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Once open, The Lodge will operate from 5 to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The Lodge is for guests 21 and older.

Beat Everyone is on the scene at SEC Media Days with Nick Kelly. Nick sat down with Josh Pate, Damien Harris, Chris Low and Rich Clark, the executive director of the College Football Playoff, for frank discussions about the rumors of Nick Saban’s return, Alabama football, Kalen DeBoer, and the future of the league.

Tune in and let us know who else you want to hear from this week.

TIME STAMPS

• 1:06 Josh Pate, CBS Sports, host of the Josh Pate’s College Football Show
• 12:25 Damien Harris, former Alabama running back and CBS analyst
• 28:40 Chris Low, ESPN, Senior Writer
• 40:32 Rich Clark, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff

Beat Everyone is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show on your favorite platform to automatically receive new episodes every Monday and Wednesday evening.

Florida airports soon must submit monthly reports on weather modification activities or face the loss of state funding under a controversial new law derided by critics as fueling conspiracy theories.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier wrote to operators of public airports on Monday that their compliance is needed to “catch those who seek to weaponize science” and will safeguard the atmosphere from “harmful chemicals and experiments.”

“We need your help to keep our state free and make sure the skies belong to the people —not to private contractors, corporate experiments, or climate extremists,” he wrote. “In Florida, we don’t jeopardize the public health so that we can bend the knee to the climate cult.”

Signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June, the law prohibits the release of any substance into the atmosphere in Florida that seeks to “alter weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity.”

Critics, though, say state officials are seeking to address a nonexistent problem and burdening airports with an unproductive mandate. Among the conspiracy theories is the longstanding notion that aircraft condensation trails are actually “chemtrails,” consisting of chemical agents sprayed for nefarious purposes.

“This bill is crazy to me,” said state Rep. Ashley Gantt, D-Miami, as the legislation was debated earlier this year. “We’re asking in this bill to do something that is not happening in Florida,” she said. “There’s a phrase … ‘Go outside and touch some grass.’ We need to get grounded.”

Florida previously required a license to engage in weather modification efforts. But the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has never issued such a license or even received an application for one since that program was created in 1957, according to an agency spokeswoman.

Orlando International Airport and Orlando Executive Airport received the attorney general’s letter and will comply with the new reporting requirements, said Angela Starke, a spokeswoman for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which operates the airports.

“Neither airport performs any geoengineering or weather modification activities, nor are we are aware of any activity on airport properties that must be reported at this time,” she wrote in an email.

Officials with Orlando Sanford International Airport also said they will comply with the law and aren’t aware of any such activities.

Under the new law, airports must report the presence of any aircraft equipped with devices or components that release substances or chemicals into the atmosphere for the “express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, climate, or the intensity of sunlight.”

Starting in October, monthly reports must be filed with the Florida Department of Transportation.

Additionally, the Department of Environmental Protection is launching a portal for the public to report suspected violations. Supporters of the law have been critical of research into geoengineering, large-scale interventions into the Earth’s climate that could potentially be used to mitigate climate change.

The weather modification ban drew opposition from Augustus Doricko, CEO and founder of the cloud seeding startup Rainmaker Technology Corp. He testified to lawmakers that cloud seeding is not occurring in Florida but could be a safe and effective water supply tool.

In the letter to airports, Uthmeier wrote that he thinks weather modification could have played a role in the Texas floods that killed more than 100 people over the Fourth of July weekend.

An Associated Press investigation, however, found no evidence that weather modification caused the deadly flood. Andrew Dessler, director of Texas A&M University’s Texas Center for Extreme Weather, called such a claim “complete nonsense.”

Social media-fueled conspiracy theories prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to issue a statement in October that it does “not modify the weather, nor does it fund, participate in or oversee cloud seeding or any other weather modification activities,”

Between 1962 and 1982, NOAA supported research into whether hurricane intensity could be modified, known as Project STORMFURY, according to the statement.

The research was not successful, and the project was discontinued, federal officials said.

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©2025 Orlando Sentinel. Visit orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

It’s not uncommon for teams to bring their starting quarterback with them for SEC Media Days.

Each team typically brings three players to accompany the head coach, and the group usually consists of veterans and names that the general public knows.

A team’s starting quarterback often fits both of those categories. Of the 16 teams at media days this week, 11 brought a quarterback with them. Auburn was part of that group, despite not returning its starter from last year.

Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold is set to take the reins in 2025, and his appearance at media days was a way for head coach Hugh Freeze to send the message that Arnold is the man for the job.

“If I really want him to be my guy, then he’s gotta be my guy. He’s gotta do it here,” Freeze said.

Arnold joined Connor Lew and Keldric Faulk as Auburn’s media representatives, two players going into their third season as starters with the program.

Freeze said Arnold’s leadership stood out to him shortly after he arrived in Auburn, quickly making an impression on the team. Arnold was ineligible for the leadership council in January, but was one of the leading vote getters during re-elections in June, according to Freeze.

Given Arnold’s strong reputation within the team and the opportunity to showcase him to the public, bringing Arnold to Atlanta for media days became an easy decision for Freeze.

“I love Deuce Knight and Ashton [Daniels] also. I think we got an incredible quarterback room,” Freeze said. “But I think making sure he is confident that we believe in Him is one of the other reasons. That and the combination of what he’s done in a short time to become a leader.”

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

Hugh Freeze’s golf game — and its frequency — has become a talking point around the SEC of late, and quarterback Jackson Arnold was asked to weigh in on Tuesday.

Arnold was in Atlanta as part of the Tigers’ contingent at SEC Media Days, and made an appearance on SEC This Morning on the SEC Network. Asked about Freeze and golf, he said it’s a story that has gained what he views as unnecessary traction.

“Coach loves to play golf, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to have something outside of football to go to and kind of get away,” said Arnold, who transferred to Auburn from Oklahoma prior to spring practice. “I feel like if Auburn was 8-4 or 9-3 last year, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. It’s just because we didn’t win enough ball games last year.

“Maybe recruiting is a little shaky right this second if you want to go and blame that. I bet you Coach Freeze was playing golf just as much last year and he was in this year.”

Auburn is coming off three straight losing seasons — two under Freeze — which has led to some criticism of the frequency with which Freeze was on the golf course during the month of June, the height of recruiting season. The coach defended himself during a podcast appearance last week, saying “I never missed a camp day or a recruiting day.”

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin appeared to troll Freeze last week and again Monday at SEC Media Days when he “congratulated” the Auburn coach on his golf and fishing success. Kiffin denied any ill intent behind his social media posts and comments, but it’s difficult to tell if he was being sincere.

Arnold was also asked Tuesday if he plays golf and he said he does “if I have the time.” The game can be a great outlet from the “grind” of football, he said.

“I enjoy playing it,” Arnold said. “It’s a great time to be with your buddies in the summer. You’re grinding, you’re working out with the guys. You get your football in, and after that I go home and I decompress, whether that’s playing golf or watching TV or cooking or doing whatever.

“You’ve got to have an outlet outside of football and Coach Freeze goes out and plays golf with his wife. I don’t think it’s an issue at all. I think people are kind of blowing it out of proportion.”