Question: First Bama Game you ever attended?

BamaNation

Publisher and Benevolent Dictator
Staff member
Apr 9, 1999
20,434
16,622
432
Silicon Slopes
TideFans.com
some of the recent threads have inspired me to start a series of threads over the coming days.

To kick it off, I want to ask a few questions:
  • What was the first Bama game you attended? (Date, opponent, location, outcome)
  • What were the circumstances of your attendance?
  • Where did you get the ticket?
  • Where did you sit?
  • Who took you (or with whom did you attend )?
  • What was the outcome and any particular meaningful plays or players or events you remember about the game?
  • Do you still have the ticket?
  • How much was the ticket (face value and/or what you paid)?
  • Any other observations about the game you want to share.
 

BamaNation

Publisher and Benevolent Dictator
Staff member
Apr 9, 1999
20,434
16,622
432
Silicon Slopes
TideFans.com
  • My first game was Sep 24, 1988: # 13 Bama vs Vandy in 1988 in Bryant-Denny.
  • Alabama won 44-10
  • I was a senior in HS and had received a ticket as part of an Engineering Day preview whereby we toured the College of Engineering on Friday, met with some advisers, etc. and then got a ticket to the game Saturday afternoon. It was hot as blue blazes for the home opener.
  • I went with a couple of HS classmates, neither of whom ended up attending UA.
  • I don't remember anything about the game other than we sat low in the endzone on about the 3rd row and sweated profusely and I was happy to have attended my first game. If I recall correctly, this may have been the first game in the stadium with the first upperdeck expansion.
  • I did not keep the ticket or program, to my unending shame. ;)
  • I don't remember the face value of the ticket - maybe $16?
 
Last edited:

CaliforniaTide

All-American
Aug 9, 2006
3,618
14
57
Huntsville, AL
Alabama vs. Hawaii in 2006. Alabama barely won thanks to a last-second defensive stop. It was in my first semester as a student at Alabama, and I got tickets through being an athlete with the cross country and track teams. I sat in the lower part of the non-Greek student section, and I do remember how unimpressed I was with the sand jumping out of the field, and that at that time, USC would slaughter Alabama. Also, I hated the humidity, and I hate it now.
 

Tide Rev

All-American
Mar 22, 2000
2,975
1,041
287
Ocean Springs, MS
1st game I ever attended was Bama - Ole Miss in Jackson in 1980. I was in college there and went over to the stadium and bought a 50 yard line ticket behind the Bama bench. It cost $12 I think. We got the tickets from a drunk Bama booster by his motor home. The game was a shootout with Bama winning 59-35. It was hot at the beginning of the game, then it rained and cooled down and by halftime, I was soaking wet and cold. Then the sun came out and we baked all over again. I was a broke college student so all I got was a drink cup at the game. We ran all over them with Major, Billy Jackson, and others. John Fourcade threw the ball all over the place for OM. I do remember that defense of ours knocked heads all afternoon.
 

12Namath12

Suspended
Sep 24, 2016
1,221
160
82
Birmingham
My first game was a great one for the record books. It was played October 27, 1973. I was 12 years old and saw the 1973 Crimson Tide defeat Virginia Tech, known then as VP1, 77-6....:)

We set many NCAA offensive records in this game. My dad let me use his old super 8 movie camera. Too bad that film is long gone. Wilbur Jackson and Calvin Culliver ran wild. Richard Todd and Jack O'Rear were the quarterbacks. You may remember Don Strock. He was VPI's qb that night. Alabama had 828 total yards of offense in this game. 743 of those yards were rushing yards. That was an NCAA record for the time. 4 of our running backs had over a 100 yards rushing.

Great win and great memories.

 

TideMom2Boys

Hall of Fame
Nov 17, 2010
20,214
398
102
Alabama
To kick it off, I want to ask a few questions:

  • What was the first Bama game you attended? (Date, opponent, location, outcome). Bama vs Miss State at BDS in October 2008. We won 24-20.
  • What were the circumstances of your attendance? We got free tickets from my husband's boss.
  • Where did you get the ticket? From my husband's Boss.
  • Where did you sit? He had season ticket seats under the covered area. I think in the U1 area.
  • Who took you (or with whom did you attend )? My husband
  • What was the outcome and any particular meaningful plays or players or events you remember about the game? I remember the atmosphere before the game the most. I fell in love with Tuscaloosa. It was the first time going there.
  • Do you still have the ticket? I don't think that I do. :(
  • How much was the ticket (face value and/or what you paid)? Free
  • Any other observations about the game you want to share. The atmosphere is amazing and we have gone to many games since then....it is still just as amazing as the first time going.
 

UAH

All-American
Nov 27, 2017
3,595
4,129
187
My first game was a great one for the record books. It was played October 27, 1973. I was 12 years old and saw the 1973 Crimson Tide defeat Virginia Tech, known then as VP1, 77-6....:)

We set many NCAA offensive records in this game. My dad let me use his old super 8 movie camera. Too bad that film is long gone. Wilbur Jackson and Calvin Culliver ran wild. Richard Todd and Jack O'Rear were the quarterbacks. You may remember Don Strock. He was VPI's qb that night. Alabama had 828 total yards of offense in this game. 743 of those yards were rushing yards. That was an NCAA record for the time. 4 of our running backs had over a 100 yards rushing.

Great win and great memories.

I was there for the game that night. Alabama scored just about at will on the ground. People may think that it would be a boring game but it was actually one of the greatest offensive displays rushing the football from any Alabama team in history. No one stayed in their seats long when Bama had the football!
 

selmaborntidefan

TideFans Legend
Mar 31, 2000
36,432
29,735
287
54
some of the recent threads have inspired me to start a series of threads over the coming days.

To kick it off, I want to ask a few questions:
  • What was the first Bama game you attended? (Date, opponent, location, outcome)
  • What were the circumstances of your attendance?
  • Where did you get the ticket?
  • Where did you sit?
  • Who took you (or with whom did you attend )?
  • What was the outcome and any particular meaningful plays or players or events you remember about the game?
  • Do you still have the ticket?
  • How much was the ticket (face value and/or what you paid)?
  • Any other observations about the game you want to share.


I don't remember.....

It was October 21, 1995, Alabama vs Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway. Alabama won, 23-9. It happened that way because - with the WWW in its infancy - I didn't know much about getting tickets. I found it was easier to go to a road game and use their system. So I bought it from Ole Miss. My seats were terrible - high up in the lower level down near the five-yard line. The sight lines (at least then) were TERRIBLE. Most of the game I was just listening to the crowd response because most of it was played at the other end of the field.

My ex and I went. We'd been married four years (it lasted 25).

Before I made it to my seat, we got a safety (2nd or 3rd play of the game). I think (I was never sure) it was Dwayne Rudd that got it.
Ralph Staten had a pick six in the first quarter.

It was kind of a boring game, the discussion in our area of the stands a lot of whining about losing the previous week to Tennessee.....but far angrier still over losing to Arky. Fans wanted Burgdorf pulled for Freddie Kitchens.

I don't still have the ticket. I paid $25 each for two tickets back when my income was whatever an E-4 made.

OBSERVATIONS

While not as pronounced there WERE some Rebel flags in the seats. Rarer than in the 80s for sure, but there were some there.
The game was not televised because Ole Miss had a bowl ban thanks to their second probation under the now departed Billy Brewer
The signs on the sidelines seemed focused on new Ole Miss player Kris Mangum, who had transferred from UA - like this meant he had more than one tooth or something.
There were some fans arrested for scalping tickets - which is illegal there.
That morning I bought two audio cassettes to listen to in the car. One was a 70s rock, the other was a Righteous Brothers
Heading home, I listened to the AM radio that had game one of the World Series. Before we even got to the highway to leave Oxford, the Braves trailed Cleveland, 1-0. That was the year Atlanta finally won it.
The next morning we woke up to news my wife's aunt had passed away that night. I only had weekend leave, but I had to take two additional days off for the funeral and then drive back to Little Rock.




Big news stories about that time?
OJ had been acquitted
The Farrakhan inspired Million Man March had occurred a few days earlier
Windows 95 had come out in late August
The Braves!
 

DzynKingRTR

TideFans Legend
Dec 17, 2003
42,213
29,370
287
Vinings, ga., usa
I don't remember the exact date. I was really young. It was at Legion Field. I know we won. I believe it was Southern Miss.
A truck driver gave my dad 2 tickets.
I remember them being really good seats. Even small I could see everything.
My dad took me.
I only remember we won. I remember it raining and standing in the tunnels. my dad lifting me to see.
I do not have the ticket. I was young and irresponsible.
I have no idea. I think free. I would have to ask my mom.
My dad always said I was an expensive date. I ate a lot.

My second football game was a bowl game (Kentucky vs Wisky) at Legion Field. I went with my grandfather and dad. We brought in peanuts that my grandmother roasted. I seriously doubt you can do that now.
 
Last edited:

Con

Hall of Fame
Dec 19, 2006
6,398
4,230
187
Northern Hemisphere
some of the recent threads have inspired me to start a series of threads over the coming days.

To kick it off, I want to ask a few questions:
  • What was the first Bama game you attended? (Date, opponent, location, outcome)
  • What were the circumstances of your attendance?
  • Where did you get the ticket?
  • Where did you sit?
  • Who took you (or with whom did you attend )?
  • What was the outcome and any particular meaningful plays or players or events you remember about the game?
  • Do you still have the ticket?
  • How much was the ticket (face value and/or what you paid)?
  • Any other observations about the game you want to share.
-Alabama vs. Vandy in 1978 in Bryant Denny Stadium.
-I guess it was just a chance for my family and I to attend a football game together.
-I was so young I don't have any idea where the tickets came from.
-We sat at the goal line on the home side.
-My mom and dad took my brother and me.
-The outcome was a Bama beatdown of Vandy. Really the only thing I can remember is watching the managers walk around with all of the tear away jerseys on. Seems like Tony Nathan got hit right on the ball and fumbled with the ball going straight up in the air and I remember the guys walking around selling popcorn.

This should be a good thread checking out everyone's memory.
 

Eastern Tide

New Member
Jan 29, 2019
2
0
0
My first Alabama game was September 8, 1979 against Georgia Tech in Atlanta. My late father took me to it. He had been an undergrad at Ga Tech.I had just started pulling for Alabama after seeing the Crimson Tide get rooked out of the 1977 national championship.
We sat somewhere in the West lowers. I had my ticket stub before misplacing it a couple of years ago while moving. I do still have my game program. I remember the stadium,which had higher capacity then,was packed, and at least half the crowd were Alabama fans. Bear Bryant of course was coaching Alabama and I am very glad to say that I got to see his final national championship team in person. Pepper Rogers was coaching Georgia Tech, and a young assistant named Steve Spurrier was coaching the quarterbacks for them. It was a very warm, mostly sunny day. Appropriately, the defense scored Alabama’s first touchdown on a 59 yard interception return by EJ Junior. Major Ogilvie added the first one for the offense, and the Crimson Tide went on for a 30 to 6 win over Georgia Tech. I went to the Alabama Georgia tech game in 82 and 84 as well. I hope that it will work out to schedule a home and home with them to go back and relive those memories.
 

TrampLineman

Hall of Fame
Jul 21, 2010
7,287
6
57
Alabama
  • 1992 Bama vs. Vandy which we won 25-8
  • My future sister in law could get us cheap tickets so we went
  • My future sister in law got us tickets
  • Student section
  • My older brother took me
  • Lots of FG's and lots of fumbles
  • Still have the ticket
  • I'd have to dig it up, but it was only a couple of bucks as it was a student ticket
  • I remember being mad because Palmer didn't get to play as he was suspended
 

NationalTitles18

TideFans Legend
May 25, 2003
29,633
34,723
362
Mountainous Northern California
some of the recent threads have inspired me to start a series of threads over the coming days.

To kick it off, I want to ask a few questions:
  • What was the first Bama game you attended? (Date, opponent, location, outcome)
Pretty sure it was Vandy in 1978.

  • What were the circumstances of your attendance?
My aunt and uncle asked me to go.

  • Where did you get the ticket?
Aunt and uncle.

  • Where did you sit?
End zone.

  • Who took you (or with whom did you attend )?
Aunt and uncle.

  • What was the outcome and any particular meaningful plays or players or events you remember about the game?
51-28. I just remember Bama was behind and then came back and won big.

  • Do you still have the ticket?
No.

  • How much was the ticket (face value and/or what you paid)?
Free for me.

  • Any other observations about the game you want to share.
I was pretty young so my memory is sketchy, unlike Bill. My aunt/uncle had one of those T-top cars and I got to hear some rock and roll. This was before expansion so capacity was maybe 63,000 - give or take. It was a fun day. This is the only game I could find that remotely resembled my memory of the opponent, score, and flow of the game (and general time frame).
 

TiderMan

All-SEC
Feb 5, 2005
1,360
113
87
55
Moody, AL.
What was the first Bama game you attended? Sept. 14, 1985 vs Texas A&M at Legion Field - Night game

What were the circumstances of your attendance? My dad taking me to my first Bama game

Where did you get the ticket? My dad was given the tickets from a scrap metal/steel vendor that his work used.

Where did you sit? End zone about half way up

Who took you (or with whom did you attend )? My dad

What was the outcome and any particular meaningful plays or players or events you remember about the game? Craig "TD" Turner broke the game open late with a TD run and Bama won 23-10. Van Tiffin kicked his school record 57 yard FG that night.


Do you still have the ticket?No

How much was the ticket (face value and/or what you paid)? About $ 15.00 from what I remember

Any other observations about the game you want to share: It was the best day and night of my life - up to that point. I was 16 years old.
 

BamaHoosier

All-American
Jan 17, 2011
3,614
620
132
Noblesville Indiana
Great thread!

First game was back in 2013. I pretty much lived on campus until I was 10 years old. I went to many baseball and basketball games growing up, but never got to a football game. When we moved to Indiana, our trips back to TTown were reserved for Summer break, Christmas, or funerals. Football was never really an option during any of those occasions.

It was a huge deal when I decided I finally had the means to go to a game. I settled on the Ole Miss game and went all out. Bought tickets two rows off the field at the 45 yard line, right behind the Rebels bench. Spent about $200 a ticket through stubhub, so naturally I no longer have the ticket. Drove the 8 hours with my dad and enjoyed every bit of the gameday atmosphere.

My biggest takeaway was that Alabama in September is even more insufferably hot when you are crammed in between 100k people. Another takeaway was that it was counterproductive to sit that close to the field. As cool as it was to sit so close to the players, it’s hard to see the field over them. Since then I’ve sat higher in the low bowl every other game I’ve gone to, which is worlds better. I’ve now been to 3 games at BDS, and I’m proud to say Bama has pitched a shutout every time. (I take full credit)

My favorite memory was something that happened in the 3rd quarter. Game was a sellout; huge crowds everywhere you looked. Yet our row had a strange amount of room throughout the first half. It was like 3-4 people hadn’t shown up. After halftime, a massive young dude comes down to our row with an older gentleman. Both completely decked out with Bama tracksuits and passes on lanyards. They sat down right next to dad and I and immediately our row became shoulder to shoulder. At the start of the 4th quarter they were escorted by a staffer elsewhere, and we never saw them again. I assumed he was a recruit, so the next day I looked up official visits for the day... It was none other than Cam Robinson! At that time he was a 5* recruit, and top OL in the class. As we all know, he joined us the next season and had a fantastic career.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
some of the recent threads have inspired me to start a series of threads over the coming days.

To kick it off, I want to ask a few questions:
  • What was the first Bama game you attended? 1986 Bama 28 Notre Dame 10
  • What were the circumstances of your attendance?
  • Where did you get the ticket? Brother In Law
  • Where did you sit? 2nd Row South End Zone
  • Who took you (or with whom did you attend )? Brother In Law
  • What was the outcome and any particular meaningful plays or players or events you remember about the game?]
    First time we beat Notre Dame The sack
  • Do you still have the ticket? Yes
  • How much was the ticket (face value and/or what you paid)? 15 bucks/Free
  • Any other observations about the game you want to share. I was 13 years old never will forget going to the game down I-65 and seeing people hanging signs over the side of the overpasses saying this one is for you Bear.
Roll Tide
 

Mke4Bama

All-SEC
Nov 21, 2006
1,841
2,266
187
67
Cullman (Good Hope)
My first game was a great one for the record books. It was played October 27, 1973. I was 12 years old and saw the 1973 Crimson Tide defeat Virginia Tech, known then as VP1, 77-6....:)

We set many NCAA offensive records in this game. My dad let me use his old super 8 movie camera. Too bad that film is long gone. Wilbur Jackson and Calvin Culliver ran wild. Richard Todd and Jack O'Rear were the quarterbacks. You may remember Don Strock. He was VPI's qb that night. Alabama had 828 total yards of offense in this game. 743 of those yards were rushing yards. That was an NCAA record for the time. 4 of our running backs had over a 100 yards rushing.

Great win and great memories.

a
That was my first game also.I was a junior in high school and attended the game with my parents. We sat in the end zone. Culliver took the handoff on a belly play and ran 80 yards for a touchdown, he came right at us. An illegal procedure penalty and brought the play back. Walked back 5 yards, next play was the same belly play and Culliver went 85 yards. Its something I'll never forget because it was with my dad, who we lost 2 years ago.
Great memories, thanks for reminding me.
 
Last edited:

Relayer

Hall of Fame
Mar 25, 2001
7,096
1,294
287
1970, #19 Bama vs #11 LSU at Legion Field. Went with my father and a couple of his friends.

For some reason Bama was a slight favorite, but lost 14-9.
 

Moro Creek

All-SEC
Jan 21, 2014
1,831
667
137
Equine country
September 12, 1970
USC 42 Alabama 21
Legion Field Upper deck approximately 35 yard line.
Got two tickets from a friend who could not go so do not know how much they cost.
My wife and I went (still together by the way).
Do not have the ticket stub (wish I did).
I had been listening to games on radio and/or reading the papers about Bama since 1958 and thought we would not have a problem with USC. Boy, was I wrong. They were bigger, stronger, and faster and I realized after that game that we could not win with 178 pound tackles anymore. Their OL knocked us backwards on every play. It was like men playing with boys.
Sam Cunningham was a force that night. He was a sophomore and did not start the game. When he did get in, he ran around us and through us. We did not have anyone that could tackle him. He picked up 135 yards and two TD's as a fullback. By the way, he only ran for 488 total yards the entire year of 1970. Cunningham was a class act and spent several successful years in the NFL. Needless to say, I was depressed for several days. Not a good first game, but I have never wavered in my support. The great thing is that we went to LA in 1971 and got our revenge on their field.
ROLL TIDE FOREVER!!!!!
 

Latest threads

TideFans.shop : 2024 Madness!

TideFans.shop - Get YOUR Bama Gear HERE!”></a>
<br />

<!--/ END TideFans.shop & item link \-->
<p style= Purchases made through our TideFans.shop and Amazon.com links may result in a commission being paid to TideFans.