Greg McElroy shares his favorite Alabama football tradition

One of the things that makes college football so special is the pageantry of the game, with hundreds of traditions, both big and small. When it comes to Alabama football traditions, there are several.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy did a featured segment on the ESPN College Football channel on YouTube, breaking down 35 things that make college football great.

The Alabama football tradition of singing Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” is his favorite of the Crimson Tide’s, checking in at No. 11 on his list of 35.

“Obviously, look, I’m a ‘Bama guy, shouldn’t really surprise you,” McElroy explained. “But after they get done announcing the starting lineups there’s a brief pause. Just a brief pause, maybe a two-second pause, then (guitar sounds of Sweet Home Alabama), then every single person in the stands with their pom-poms going up like crazy and singing Sweet Home Alabama, roll Tide roll, where the skies are so blue. All the other things that having the chorus go along with it is phenomenal.”

In recent years, Alabama has also installed LED lighting around the stadium, helping lend to the aura even more.

According to a story from The Athletic, the system contains 174 Musco LED white lights and 60 Musco LED RGBW color lights and reportedly cost north of $1 million.

But while the lights help sell the feel, it’s the fans that make the Alabama football tradition so special.

McElroy has a bit of a unique perspective on it, too, having played quarterback at the university and won a national title during his time there.

“Now other people might say Dixieland Delight with Alabama, other people might say Ramma Jamma with Alabama,” McElroy said. “Both are terrific. They’re awesome. I think they’re terrific traditions, but to me when Lynyrd Skynyrd ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ comes over the PA right before a big game after the starting lineups are announced, that means it’s go time, man. Let’s get it going and ramp it up a little bit.”

Alabama will look to ramp it up again this year in front of the fans after missing the College Football Playoff in 2022 for only the second time since the playoffs were introduced.

The Crimson Tide will have to do so without starting quarterback Bryce Young, who left school to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Rest assured, though, you can expect the Alabama football tradition to carry on and help pump up the team before games.