We made it, y’all! We survived another offseason!
It is upon once more — Alabama’s Fan Day, also known as Fan Appreciation Day (and, far more colloquially, the Running of the Gumps.)
With Fan Day’s arrival so too comes the honest-to-God start of the football season. Freshmen will have reported and the Tide will have already kicked off fall camp (and undoubtedly will be getting a little extra preparation in for its season opener against the USC Trojans.)
Details
When: Sunday, August 7 2016
Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, University of Alabama campus
Admission: Free
Autographs & Photographs: Free, but fans are limited to one (1) signed item and absolutely no posed pictures will be allowed. Get in, grab your Glamour Shot and John Hancock, and then skeedaddle to another table so the people behind you can go.
Entrance, Seating, Itinerary (times approximate): Fans can enter the stadium at 1:30 p.m. (all times Central) through Gate 12, 16, 45. Seating is limited to the lower bowl only, Sections AA-NN.
The open practice will begin at 2:30 p.m. and will last about two hours. That said, there are sometimes delays before beginning the autograph session, such as happened at last year’s event.
Autograph signing will commence at 4:45 p.m. and will last for 45 minutes, with all activities wrapped up by 5:30 p.m.
- Practice: Enter and exit through Gate 12, 16, 45
- Fan Day: Enter through Gate 25 to reach the field. You will exit through Gate 45.
- If you do not want to watch the open practice, and want to begin queuing up for the running of the Gumps, you can do so beginning at 1:00 p.m. You will enter through Gate 25. Charlie Potter from 247 is now reporting that the first 150 people lined up will get priority admittance to the autograph session. We’ll take him at his word. (The press release is out. This is correct.)
Traffic: Tuscaloosa is a hive of scum and villainy at the moment as the City and ALDOT have decided to do simultaneous construction on: University Boulevard, 15th Street, Highway 82/McFarland Blvd, Bryant Drive, Highway 69, I-359, I-59 and many others, Worse, they take off whole stretches of days, with no appreciable progress having been made. So don’t look for congestion to be eased anytime soon. In fact, traffic will be much, much worse than you’re accustomed to.
Parking: Fan Day parking is located in and around the two parking decks at West ten Hoor Hall. There is also surface parking and surface lots if ThunderDome is your thing.
RV Accommodations: No special accommodations are made for RVs on campus: RVs are to park at the Northington Lot near University Mall on 15th Street and McFarland Boulevard.
Disabilities: First-come parking is located at the Communications and Wallace Wade Lots.
Amenities: Children can join the Big Al KIds Club. Everyone is eligible to enroll in Crimson Tide Rewards. That is usually located on the East side of BDS, near Gate 45. Concessions will be available in a very limited number of stands on the West side. BBVA Compass will be giving away autographed posters for free as well.
In Conclusion
Have a great time, be sure to stay hydrated — August is always nasty in Tuscaloosa, and, most importantly, please don’t let your behavior turn you into a meme. That seems to be a pretty good goal in the Internet era.
We’ll take you out with the dulcet tones of Vangelis’ “Chariots of Fire,” in this recap of 2014’s annual Running. It is by far the best one I’ve seen.
Roll Tide.