Finally, an update

I slacked Thursday and failed to post an update for the first time in quite awhile. It is normally catch-up day in the never ending week of a beat writer. I apologize and promise not to make excuses in the future.

Today is for travel. I’ll be updating later on with all the wonders Durham has to offer.  Here are a few more stories to read while waiting for tomorrow afternoon’s kickoff from Duke.

Getting ready for Tide of RVs (The Herald-Sun of Durham)
Cutcliffe learned at Alabama (McClatchy Newspapers)
Tide fans play nice with Penn State (Scripps Newspapers)
Amid building boom, colleges seek right fit in stadiums (Mobile Press-Register)
‘Bama won’t need to Duke it out (Boston Herald)

Bryant-Denny Stadium now fifth biggest

The home of Crimson Tide football is now ranked fifth among college football stadiums according to the new capacity released today by UA.

Bryant-Denny Stadium’s new capacity is officially 101,821 — up from 92,138 before the south end zone got the upper deck and luxury suites.

The complete rankings:

1. Michigan Stadium (Michigan) 109,901
2. Beaver Stadium (Penn State) 107,282
3. Neyland Stadium (Tennessee)102,455
4. Ohio Stadium (Ohio State) 102,329
5. Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama) 101,821
6. Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas) 100,119
7. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (USC) 93,607
8. Sanford Stadium (Georgia) 92,746
9. Tiger Stadium (LSU) 92,400
10. Rose Bowl (UCLA) 92,340

Here is the latest from outside the south end zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium. It looks like this feature is about to die since work is all but done.

BDS expansion, updated Aug. 4 2010

Game times set for Penn State, Duke matchups

The SEC just released game times and television assignments for early-season games including Alabama’s matchups with Penn State (Sept. 11) and Duke (Sept. 18).

The Crimson Tide will play the Nittany Lions at 6 p.m. on ESPN and the Blue Devils at 2:30 p.m. on ABC. (All times on the Bama Blog appear for the central time zone).

The complete listings:

  

Sept. 2, Southern Miss at South Carolina, ESPN, 6:30 p.m

Sept. 4, Miami (Ohio) at Florida, ESPN, 11 a.m.

Sept. 4, Kentucky at Louisville, ABC Sports, 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 4, LSU vs. North Carolina, ABC Sports, 6 p.m. (at Atlanta, Ga. / Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game)

Sept. 9, Auburn at Mississippi State, ESPN, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 11, Georgia at South Carolina,  ESPN or ESPN2, 11 a.m.

Sept. 11, Penn State at Alabama, ESPN, 6 p.m. 

Sept. 11, Oregon at Tennessee, ESPN2, 6 p.m.

Sept. 11, Ole Miss at Tulane, ESPN Classic or ESPN2, 8 p.m.

Sept. 18, Arkansas at Georgia,  ESPN or ESPN2, 11 a.m.

Sept. 18, Alabama at Duke, ABC Sports, 2:30 p.m. 

Sept. 18, Clemson at Auburn, ESPN, 6 p.m.

Sept. 18,  Florida at Tennessee, CBS Sports, 2:30 p.m.

Oct. 2, SEC Doubleheader – TBA,  CBS Sports, 2:30/7 p.m

Oct. 30, Georgia vs. Florida , CBS Sports, 2:30 p.m. (at Jacksonville, Fla.)

Nov. 13, SEC Doubleheader – TBA, CBS Sports, 11 a.m./2:30 p.m.

Dec. 4,  SEC Championship Game, CBS Sports, 3 p.m. (at Atlanta, Ga.)

Alabama releases 2010 football schedule

The university just released the final edition of the 2010 football schedule. There aren’t any surprises.

And if you have season tickets, it will be a wise move to renew. The home schedule includes Penn State (Sept. 11), Florida (Oct. 2), Ole Miss (Oct. 16) and Auburn (Nov. 26).

It will also be the first season of what will be a newly-renovated Bryant-Denny Stadium that will seat more than 101,000. Here is the full schedule:

Sept. 4………. San Jose State………………… Bryant-Denny Stadium

Sept. 11…….. Penn State……………………… Bryant-Denny Stadium

Sept. 18………… at Duke……………………………………… Durham, N.C.

Sept. 25………… *at Arkansas…………………………… Fayetteville, Ark.

Oct. 2………… *Florida………………………….. Bryant-Denny Stadium

Oct. 9……………… *at South Carolina………………… Columbia, S.C.

Oct. 16………. *Mississippi……………………. Bryant-Denny Stadium

Oct. 23…………… *at Tennessee………………………… Knoxville, Tenn.

Oct. 30…………… Open date

Nov. 6……………. *at LSU………………………………………. Baton Rouge, La.

Nov. 13……… *Mississippi State………….. Bryant-Denny Stadium

Nov. 20……… Georgia State…………………. Bryant-Denny Stadium

Nov. 26……… * Auburn………………………… Bryant-Denny Stadium

Report: Alabama to pay San Jose St. a million bucks for 2010 game

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Alabama is ready to write a check for $1 million made out to San Jose State to play in Tuscaloosa in 2010. That’s a lot of dough.

The story posted on the newspaper’s Web site says SJSU backed out of a game with Stanford that would have only paid a fraction of the amount Alabama is willing to pay.

The Spartans finished sixth in the conference and finished 6-6 overall for only their second non-losing season since 2000. The program has appeared in one bowl game since 1990 — the 2006 New Mexico Bowl where it beat New Mexico 20-12.

The Crimson Tide already has non-conference dates set with Penn State and Duke for 2010.