Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe now! | Recruiting Board | Talk of Champions
HOOVER, Ala. — The new Mercedes-Benz Stadium will have a flashy circular retractable roof, a 360- degree halo video board and 1,264 beer taps. More importantly for Alabama fans, it will be completed in time for the Crimson Tide’s season opener against Florida State on Sept. 2 in Atlanta.
With construction still ongoing, there were some concerns that the new state-of-the-art stadium would not be ready for what is being dubbed “the greatest opener of all time.” However, those fears were put to bed by Atlanta Falcons president and CEO Rich McKay, who announced the stadium will open on Aug. 26, a week before the Chick-fil-A Kickoff.
"We will be ready," McKay said Tuesday at SEC Media Days while revealing a 6-minute video of the luxurious new venue.
Related: SEC Media Days Coverage
The 71,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be the home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United as well play host to the SEC Championship Game. The stadium will also host the 2018 College Football Playoff national championship game, the 2019 Super Bowl and the 2020 NCAA Final Four.
While the multipurpose structure is capable of hosting several events, McKay noted it was designed for “the tenants that were going to come in here and play to feel like this was their home field.” For Alabama, that means suiting up in one of two 100-locker auxiliary locker rooms created with the SEC Championship in mind.
Don't Miss: Derrius Guice still feels Alabama defense was 'scared' of LSU | How Tennessee feels about rivalry with Alabama
The stadium also aims to create a unique atmosphere for each game by using its 83,000 square feet of LED boards. Due to the boards' ability to display different images, Mercedes-Benz Stadium does not have any permanent signage anywhere in the inner bowl. That means a different display can be created to cater to a particular event.
“We truly tried to design it with the SEC in mind,” McKay said. “We tried to design it with the College Football Championship in mind. We tried to design it with all of the major events in mind.”
The new accommodations won’t be limited to Alabama and Florida State players, either. McKay said fans attending this year’s Chick-fil-A Kickoff will experience a series of upgrades from the Georgia Dome, where the game has been played since its inauguration in 2008.
On top of an increase of basic amenities such as more bathrooms and elevators, McKay said it was important to increase the fan experience by making concessions more affordable. The stadium will feature “fan-first menu pricing,” which includes $2 refillable soda cups, $2 hotdogs, $5 cheeseburgers and $5 Bud Light draft beer among other items.
“This is just what it should be, in our mind,” McKay said. “In our mind, on a go-forward basis, we have to get to the point where fans come to our stadiums and actually get a bargain and feel treated with respect when it comes to food, and we think in the stadium game that has not gone the way we think it should. So we're going to take a stand and try to do it a little differently.”
Alabama and Florida State will meet on Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. CT and will be televised nationally on ABC. This will be Alabama’s fifth appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, where the Tide holds a 4-0 record, while Florida State will be opening in Atlanta for the first time.
The two teams have met four times dating back to 1965, with the most recent meeting in 2007, resulting in a 21-14 win for the Seminoles. The Tide holds a 2-1-1 advantage in the series.
Alabama vs. Florida State Preview
Full preview of each team here
Alabama vs. Florida State
Saturday, September 2, 7 PM
TV: ABC
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
The Line: -5 1/2 Alabama
