Ranking Alabama Future Non-SEC Road Venues: All Things CW

With Alabama and Minnesota scheduling a home-and-home series, the Greg Byrne world tour of college football.

The All Things CW notes column by Christopher Walsh will appear in five parts this week, one each day leading up to Saturday's game against Texas A&M.

This is ...

Take 3

Alabama announcing that had signed a home-and-home series with Minnesota on Tuesday filled an important gap in the long-time football schedule for the Crimson Tide.

Granted, it’s not the same as facing Oklahoma, which Alabama was set to play until the Sooners escaped the Big 12 and will soon join the Southeastern Conference. But considering the available options, and the desire to play name programs, the Gophers were a good get and a worthwhile replacement.

Remember, Alabama is still hoping to renovate Bryant-Denny Stadium again soon, and the ability to attract fans will be a key component. A lot of Minnesotans will be curious about Tuscaloosa and make the trip. 

But for the away-game part of it, the Crimson Tide is basically doing the Greg Byrne world tour of college football, hitting up a lot of places that Alabama fans aren’t used to or have visited. It started with Texas this year, and even though the Longhorns are also joining the SEC, it still felt like a rock-star event.

Perhaps T-shirts could be made up with the stadiums (and scores) listed on the back.

The Crimson Tide will also get to see Touchdown Jesus, "Jump Around," the doting of the "i" and "Enter Sandman." It will also visit Nick Saban's home state, the Rocky Mountains, and the home of the Freedom Trail. 

A nice bonus will be that most of the games will be played in cooler locations in terms of temperatures. Yet not all venues are created equal.

Here’s our top 10 list of upcoming non-conference Crimson Tide road games over the next 12 years. Note that South Florida is not included because the Bulls play at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, which is also the home to the Outback Bowl and where Alabama lost to Clemson in the 2017 CFP National Championship Game. Plus, USF plays in the American Athletic Conference, and all of the other teams are in Power 5 conferences.

However, considering the area just south of Tampa was recently decimated by Hurricane Ian, please don’t skip the game/trip if you’re thinking about going. It’ll be hot on Sept, 16, 2023, but the area needs all the help and support it can get.

1. Notre Dame (Sept. 14, 2029): It’s Notre Dame. Enough said. Besides, Alabama is 0-2 at South Bend.
2. Ohio State (Sept. 18, 2027): The Crimson Tide has never visited the horseshoe, and it’s closer than some SEC venues.
3. West Virginia (Sept. 5, 2026): The Nick Saban connection to the area alone makes this a must go.
4. Wisconsin (Sept. 13, 2024): Madison tops the list in terms of just having fun.
5. Boston College (Sept. 13, 2031): Go for the city and region, stay for the game. Alumni Stadium capacity is just 44,500.
6. Minnesota (Sept. 18, 2032): Huntington Bank Stadium is gorgeous and the game won’t be played in winter.
7. Virginia Tech (Sept. 2, 2034): Enter Sandman is the best entrance in college football.
8. Arizona (Sept. 3, 2033): Really long drive, but Tucson gets a lot of bonus points for the scenery.
9. Florida State (Aug. 30, 2025): It’ll be like everyone in Tuscaloosa decided to head to beach at the same time.
10. Oklahoma State (Sept. 23, 2027): Alabama fans will get a chance to see where Barry Sanders torched defenses. 

See Also:

Take 1: Rivalry Renewed For Alabama and Tennessee? Not Quite

Take 2: Tennessee's Good, But Are The No. 6 Vols for Real? 

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