Nick Saban, Alabama Players Share Excitement Opening Season at Home

The season opener will be the first time the Crimson Tide kickoff in Bryant-Denny since 2011.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Most dominant teams in college football have the privilege of starting their season at home, where the fans and supporters can indulge in traditions away teams have to wait for.

It's no secret that Alabama is one of the — if not the most — dominant teams in college football. However, the Crimson Tide has had to start its season away from Tuscaloosa for a decade, whether it was in Atlanta's Georgia Dome (or now Mercedes-Benz Stadium) or AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Now, the Crimson Tide faithful don't have to travel far to see their team start the season, as Alabama football will kick off in Tuscaloosa for the first time since 2011.

"Well you know, we always played neutral site games in the past because of scheduling issues and it was a great experience for fans for a long time and we always were able to get a really good opponent to play," Saban said in Wednesday's press conference. "But we kinda changed philosophies and tried to get home-and-home games so we could play really good opponents home and away.

"So I know the players are always excited about playing in Bryant-Denny Stadium — we're always excited about it — and hopefully this game helps us see where we are so that we can make the improvements we need to make throughout the season to be the best team we can be."

The opportunity to play at home to start the season was an experience a lot of players missed over the last decade. The emotions and excitement that come from a home opener are unique, and for the seniors on the team, including safety Jordan Battle, it's an opportunity they now have as their careers in Tuscaloosa wrap up.

 "It is pretty amazing being that I’ve been here, about to be four years, and never started off with a game at Bryant-Denny," Battle said in Tuesday's press conference. "It’s kind of fun to start the season at Bryant-Denny with all the fans. Pretty sure it will be packed because it’s the first game. So excited to give them a show."

The track record is on Alabama's side; the last time the Tide started the season at home, they routed Kent State 48-7, where AJ McCarron threw for 226 yards and Trent Richardson scored three rushing touchdowns.

Kickoff against the Utah State Aggies will be at 6:30 p.m. CT

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