Today, the University of Alabama school system made the announcement that it expects to hold in-person classes next fall with no capacity restrictions. While the news is exciting for our students who have longed to return to in-person classes the news may be even more exciting for the student-athletes.

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne commented on the story insinuating that the athletic department is planning on returning to a full capacity Bryant-Denny Stadium for the 2021 season. This past year the stadium was reduced to 20% capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Returning to a full stadium means not only will opposing teams be more intimidated when entering Bryant-Denny Stadium but also an economic upturn in the city of Tuscaloosa. Mayor Walt Maddox said last summer that each home-game weekend is worth approximately $20 million in revenue for Tuscaloosa businesses.

Full stadiums also help the athletic department in its initiative to complete the Crimson Standard, Byrne has stated that most of the projects are on hold until the department is on the other side of the pandemic.

Lastly the students of the University of Alabama were put into a difficult position as they were restricted in the amount of athletic events they could attend during the 2020-21 academic year. Lifting the restriction hopefully ensures that each person enrolled in school is able to see their favorite athletic programs to their hearts content.

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