At Alabama, history is built into the program’s DNA. On the “hey coach” radio show, AD Greg Byrne reflected on weaving the past with future vision, speaking of Bob Baumhower’s legacy, and the importance of “honoring the past.” All while enjoying delicacies at Baumhower’s Victory Grille. And naturally, no conversation about Crimson Tide greatness stays Saban-free for long.
After all, leaving the GOAT out of a celebration in Tuscaloosa would be like Bryant-Denny on a Saturday without “Rammer Jammer” ringing out after a win. On the August 13th show, Byrne said, “That is something we will continue to focus on is celebrating our history. Coach Saban’s going to be able to be part of a celebration this year, too, for one of his teams now that, hopefully, it’s not an early game when that comes along, but there’ll be some recognition to one of his teams, too.” For Alabama fans, that’s a date worth framing.
But it wasn’t all about Saban’s soon-to-be spotlight moment. Byrne’s update came alongside other projects that hint at a broader transformation in Tuscaloosa. “Man, you got all sorts of stuff going on. Even people have driven past Coleman Coliseum, going, ‘What’s going on?’ Well, you’re building a new basketball practice facility and a training center as well,” said Chris Stewart. The new complex is expected to push Crimson Tide basketball into an elite tier of year-round development — an arms race where facilities are as much about recruiting as they are about performance.
Then came the roster bombshell, which might end up shaping the SEC’s competitive balance as much as any stadium project. Greg Byrne addressed the looming change following the House v. NCAA settlement’s final approval. Under the new rules, scholarship limits are gone, deemed illegal by the courts.
Sep 7, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Terry and Alabama Crimson Tide former head coach Nick Saban sit with athletics director Greg Byrne and university president Stuart Bell during a ceremony to rename the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in honor of Saban. The new name is Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images“We’re obviously all paying attention to the new world of the House settlement. … Scholarship limits are no longer allowed,” Byrne said. “They’re deemed illegal by the court system. But roster limits are okay. The roster limit eventually, when some of the grandfathering and the walk-ons, will be at 105. We’ve often carried over 130 kids on the football team, so it’ll be a reduction. At the same time, too, other leagues have decided not to have limits on how many scholarships you have on the 105. The SEC currently has 85. So we’ve got to figure that out, too. We’ve got to make sure that doesn’t put us at a competitive disadvantage.”
In football terms, going from 130 to 105 — with only 85 of those scholarship players in the SEC — strips away depth at practice, trims special teams units, and forces coaches to rethink roster construction. Injuries could swing seasons. Developmental players may find themselves squeezed out entirely. While other conferences keep their flexibility, the SEC could be fighting with one hand tied behind its back unless adjustments are made.
Meanwhile, Bryant-Denny’s upgrades march on. Beyond honoring Nick Saban and the greats of the past, the stadium has finally added a feature so basic that fans can’t believe it took this long — one of those small conveniences that somehow went missing in the $100-million-plus fortress of football. It’s a reminder that progress in college athletics isn’t always about jumbo screens and LED ribbon boards. Sometimes, it’s about the little things that make game day just a bit smoother for the faithful.
Roll on Wi-Fi: Greg Byrne finally connects fans at Bryant-Denny
Alabama fans won’t just be watching the Tide roll this fall — they’ll finally be able to roll through Instagram feeds, send texts, and upload victory selfies without fighting their cell signal. Yes, Wi-Fi is officially coming to Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium for the 2025 football season. With 101,821 fans packed in, it’s no surprise that cell service can bog down fast. “We did hear that comment from fans on a pretty regular basis,” Alabama Greg Byrne admitted. And why now, after years of waiting? “You also go to most NFL stadiums, and they’ve had access to [Wi-Fi] as well, so when we did it, we wanted to make sure we did it as well as we possibly could.”
The Tide kicks off the season in just 16 days against Florida State, and Byrne says the new service will start with a trial run. “Yeah, we got Wi-Fi. That’s a good thing. And there’s a number of things that we’re going to do a soft launch in the first week or two… hopefully we’ll do more of a public launch as the season goes on.”
Byrne added they could’ve installed it sooner but held out for better tech: “We waited a while on Wi-Fi… we weren’t very comfortable that it would really serve our fans at the level we wanted it to.” Now, with top-tier technology “only a few people have even used,” fans can expect visible upgrades the moment they walk up to the gates. Because at Bryant-Denny, winning is great, but posting about it in real time? That’s game-changing.
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