Alabama AD Greg Byrne Addresses Future of ‘Dixieland Delight’
Alabama's new athletic director Greg Byrne hasn't been on campus two months but fans and listeners can't keep from asking about a song that used to play at football games.
It's one of the most common questions heard on our shows: "Will Greg Byrne bring 'Dixieland Delight' back to Bryant-Denny Stadium?" The Alabama song became a fourth-quarter tradition at home games and featured some improvised lyrics directed towards the Crimson Tide's three biggest rivals. The university eventually put an end to the song being played inside the stadium following the 2014 season and fans have been pushing for its return ever since.
When Byrne joined The Game last week to talk about the state of Alabama athletics and some important issues around college sports, the topic of 'Dixieland Delight' came up.
"I get why it's asked," Byrne told host Ryan Fowler. "Obviously that's been a really good tradition here and I'm trying to get my arms around all of our traditions - the ones maybe that we're doing today, the ones maybe that we've done in the past, or what's ahead for the future. And I understand that's been one that the fanbase has been passionate about.
"I think what is important, just bigger picture, is whatever we do, let's make sure we do it right and we do it where there's a lot of pride in what takes place. And I think if we can incorporate that in any tradition that we have and that we do, that'll be one of the drivers. How that affects 'Dixieland Delight' I'm not sure at this point, but I have heard that and I've seen all the videos and all those things."
The answer doesn't tell us whether fans will get the chance to sing along again this fall, but it does confirm that the topic has been discussed to some degree. Stay tuned.
That wasn't all that was discussed during the conversation. Byrne also shared his thoughts on these topics:
- The new NCAA rules that were passed last week
- The state of college sports and challenges facing athletic directors
- How to keep fans engaged and attending events on campus
- Facility upgrades at Alabama
Listen to the full interview in the video below.