Alabama A-Day Games Have Been More Than a Scrimmage, but a Crimson Tide Tradition

The Crimson Tide's annual spring football game has always been popular, but especially during the Nick Saban era

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In 2020, the University of Alabama football program canceled both spring practices and the annual A-Day Game due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

It marked the first time the scrimmage/exhibition game wasn't played since 1996. 

However, it still has a long history at Alabama. 

The A-Day game was initially called the Spring Training Football Game and was played on Alumni Day. 

Crimson Tide have seemingly always taken the spring game seriously. Whether it was their natural competitive spirit, fighting for a job, bragging rights or hoping to get the winning team prize, they played hard.

Of course, when Nick Saban entered the picture in 2007, he had both the players and coaches play for a steak dinner, with the losing side relegated to having franks and beans. 

Image courtesy of Jimmy Bank

In anything, it's only contributed to some of the behind-the-scenes talking by the coaches (Note: Saban acts as commissioner and has his coordinators coach the teams. He gets steak either way).

The annual spring game has also been a great opportunity for the fans to see what the team has been doing in practice and a preview of the fall.

Image courtesy of Jimmy Bank

The 1960 game may have been especially fun to watch with Lee Roy Jordan possibly lining up across from Pat Trammell and Billy Neighbors.

Also, notice that several players were excused from spring practice to play baseball.

Image courtesy of Jimmy Bank

Alabama A-Day games 

Date, Score, MVP, Attendance, Reference

March 30, 1946, White 18-6 — 24,000 at Legion Field

March 15, 1947, Crimson 13-7 — 12,000 

March 13, 1948, White 20-7 — 12,000 

March 12, 1949, Crimson 14-0 — 10,000 

March 11, 1950, White 12-0 — 10,000 

March 9, 1951, White 22-7 — 15,000 

March 8, 1952, Crimson 41-26

March 14, 1953, White 13-6 — 7,500 

March 20, 1954, White 20-13 — 4,000 

March 12, 1955, Crimson 12-7

March 10, 1956, White 26-0

March 9, 1957, Crimson 21-0 

April 26, 1958, White 13-0

April 11, 1959, Crimson 14-3 — 15,000 

April 30, 1960, Crimson 38-0

April 22, 1961, Crimson 17-7 

May 19, 1962, White 15-14

May 11, 1963, White 17-6 — 14,000 

May 8, 1964, Crimson 17-6 — 14,500 

May 8, 1965, Crimson 67-36 — 13,000 

April 23, 1966, Crimson 17-15 — 15,000 

May 5, 1967, Crimson 13-3 — 15,000 

May 4, 1968, White 17-7 — 12,000

May 10, 1969, White 27-25 — 17,000 

April 18, 1970, White 40-39 — 17,000 

May 1, 1971, White 21-15, Steve Dean 15,000 

April 22, 1972, White 24-7, Wayne Wheeler 20,000 

April 21, 1973, White 21-16, Mike Washington 5,000 

April 20, 1974, Crimson 17-14, Conley Duncan 15,000 

April 12, 1975, Crimson 21-13, Johnny Davis 15,000 

April 10, 1976, Crimson 14-11, Ozzie Newsome 10,000 

April 16, 1977, White 27-23, Tony Nathan 10,000 

April 22, 1978, Tie 7-7 Keith Pugh 7,000 

April 14, 1979, White 21-0, Alan Gray 7,500 

April 12, 1980, White 16-14, Johnny Brooker 8,000 

April 11, 1981, Crimson 31-13, Ken Simon 8,500

April 17, 1982, White 17-0, Walter Lewis 11,500 

April 16, 1983, White 14-11, Jon Hand 16,000 

April 14, 1984, White 7-3, Brent Sowell 16,000 

April 20, 1985, White 20-7, Don McClain 28,000

April 19, 1986, White 20-0, Angelo Stafford 20,435 

April 25, 1987, White 20-10, Kerry Goode 32,000 at Legion Field

April 9, 1988, White 28-16, Vince Sutton 51,117 at Legion Field

April 8, 1989, Crimson 28-14, Jeff Dunn 16,500 

April 21, 1990, White 42-12, Danny Woodson 12,500

1991 No game

April 11, 1992, Crimson 13-7, Jeremy Nunley 35,016 

April 17, 1993, Crimson 27-19, Brian Burgdorf 30,000 

April 16, 1994, Crimson 17-6, Brian Steger 46,700 

April 15, 1995, White 16-10, Toderick Malone 37,323

1996 No game

April 19, 1997, White 9-5, Michael Vaughn 30,212 

April 18, 1998, White 65-24, Montoya Madden 8,968 

April 17, 1999, White 23-10, Jason McAddley 32,500 

April 15, 2000, Crimson 17-12, Ahmaad Galloway 25,355 

April 14, 2001, Crimson 10-7, Jonathan Richey 35,000 

April 13, 2002, Crimson 20-6, Ahmaad Galloway 37,000 

March 29, 2003, Crimson 47-0, Brodie Croyle 34,000 

March 19, 2004, White 21-0, Tim Castille 35,000 

March 19, 2005, White 20-18, John Parker Wilson 25,000 

April 1, 2006, White 17-3, D. J. Hall 40,000 

April 21, 2007, White 20-13, D. J. Hall 92,138 

April 12, 2008, Crimson 24-14, Terry Grant 78,200 

April 18, 2009, Crimson 14-7, Marquis Maze/Greg McElroy 84,050 

April 17, 2010, White 23-17, Mark Ingram, Jr. 91,312

April 16, 2011, Crimson 14-10, Trent Richardson 92,310

April 14, 2012, White 24-15, T. J. Yeldon 78,526

April 20, 2013, White 17-14, T. J. Yeldon 78,315

April 19, 2014, White 17-13, T. J. Yeldon 73,506

April 18, 2015, White 27-14, Robert Foster/ArDarius Stewart 65,175

April 16, 2016, White 7-3, Damien Harris 76,212

April 22, 2017, Crimson 27-24, Jerry Jeudy 74,326 

April 21, 2018, Crimson 24-12, Joseph Bulovas/Mac Jones, 74,732 

April 13, 2029, White 31-17, John Metchie, 62,219 

2020 No game (canceled due to coronavirus pandemic)