This is an opinion column.
George Hutcheson “Mike” Denny was, by all accounts, a transformative leader at the University of Alabama.
Under his watch, the campus exploded with growth. And its football program went from an afterthought to a national champion.
In broad strokes, his tenure could be compared with Paul “Bear” Bryant’s.
And when you think about it, Nick Saban’s too.
Back in 1975, the state legislature passed a bill that Governor George Wallace signed authorizing the renaming of the on-campus football stadium to add Bryant’s name to Denny’s.
Nearly 50 years later, it might be time to consider another refresh.
The time is right.
With a gorgeous forecast set for Saturday’s first post-Saban A-Day, the annual spring game feels like the right time to begin this conversation. It was Saban’s first A-Day that he’s consistently pointed to as the moment the dormant Alabama program began to bloom as a capacity crowd of 92,000-plus packed the stadium to watch a scrimmage.
A statue of Saban sits mere feet from the goliath venue’s entrance, now it’s time to fully honor the revolution he brought, not only to the football program, but the university.
It’s time to consider naming that place, Bryant-Saban Stadium.
And that’s said with all due respect to Denny.
The university president served from 1912 to 1936 and his leadership through challenging times, is not to be forgotten. He hired Wallace Wade in 1923 and it took him three years to win Alabama’s first national title in the Rose Bowl. Wallace, fittingly, left for Duke where its football stadium is now named in his honor.
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Denny’s tenure included four national titles, the establishment of Big Al as the mascot and the writing of “Yea Alabama” as the fight song.
When the new football stadium opened in 1929, it was named for its sitting president. Denny Stadium was a 12,000-seat outline of the 100,000-capacity coliseum it is today. For 95 years, his name’s been attached to the building -- long after the sport transformed beyond anything he would’ve recognized upon his death in 1955.
And this would feel unduly punitive if not for Denny Chimes.
The bell tower that’s the centerpiece of UA’s quad was unveiled the same year as Denny Stadium. It’s closer to the administrative heart of Alabama’s campus, a fitting location for a former university president.
Surrounded by the hand and cleat prints of decades’ worth of football captains is a nod to Denny’s contribution to the sport.
Denny Chimes on the University of Alabama campus Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)
Now, I know we’re not a state that loves the renaming of historic buildings. There’s a whole act of the legislature designed to preserve names of yesteryear, but something tells me the state could make an exemption here.
Back in 1975, it was the legislature that moved to add Bryant’s name to the nameplate. The legendary coach still had two national championships in him when he seemingly sheepishly agreed to the plan. Reports in The Birmingham News stated the original renaming was to “Paul Bryant-Denny Stadium” before going with the last names only.
Legendary Alabama radio voice Bert Bank was the state senator who introduced the legislation in 1975 to add Bryant’s name. It came two years after the body voted to add Shug Jordan’s name what’s known as Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn. A few Auburn legislators (in jest, presumably) wanted to add language to the bill that would require Bryant’s retirement in return for the name change.
Bryant said at the time he was “highly flattered but somewhat embarrassed.”
Saban, no doubt, would say the same.
At least he isn’t coaching in a stadium that bears (no pun intended) his name. Bryant did it eight years, though all the important games were still played up the road at Legion Field in Birmingham.
We say all this as a means for conversation. There will undoubtedly be opposition to making such a move. Perhaps there would be a compromise like naming the playing surface Saban Field, but nobody uses the bulky names like that conversationally.
How often do you hear the home of the Longhorns referred to as Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium at Campbell-Williams Field?
Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium is a half measure, and this is no time for those.
After equaling Bryant’s six Alabama national championships, his name deserves to stand beside the icon of the state and sport.
Of course, there’s the economic impact of Saban’s tenure, the explosive enrollment growth and the building boom that came with it. Just look around the blocks surrounding Bryant-Denny and compare it to the years before swooping in 17 years ago.
He was charged with returning the program to Bryant’s levels. He did that, and arguably more.
Simply tacking his name onto the current version sounds more like a law firm than a shrine to football success. Besides, two of those names are different from the other.
And that’s no disrespect to Denny.
He’s had a good run on the stadium, and he’ll always have the chimes.
But the time’s come to recognize what should be obvious.
Bryant-Saban Stadium is the only way to fully honor the two modern Alabama football empires and the architects behind them.
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook