Nick Saban explains why Alabama will not rotate alternate helmets, uniforms under his watch

Alabama is more than just a vessel Nick Saban can win college football championships. The legendary head coach cares deeply about the tradition of the Crimson Tide program. One of his primary motives as coach is to keep that tradition. Obviously, he maintains the Alabama standard on the field. But Saban also preaches that the details like uniforms and the performance of the fight song are also important in maintaining the rich tradition of the program.

At the final Nick Saban Show before the season started, he explained why those details ought to be kept the same. And that he intends on doing so. Before getting to his opinion on uniform changes, Saban used the band as an example. He revealed that he offers a little bit of his own orchestral knowledge to the Crimson Tide Marching Band on how to play the Alabama fight song.

“But even when I talk to the band, I tell the band: you know, there’s an expectation for when you come out the tunnel. When you play the fight song, whatever you do, there’s a whole bunch of people out there that have an expectation of how you do it. Because you represent a tradition.”

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It’s kinda funny to imagine Nick Saban barking a coach’s spiel at the marching band like they’re his players. Surely the band listens to Saban’s musical advice. He then went on to explain how a detail like playing the fight song the right way is part of an expected tradition. Just like the Tide’s uniform combination is.

“And that’s why we don’t change uniforms all the time,” Saban said as a thunderous applause cheered him on. “We wear the same uniform.”

“They wanna wear white helmet, everybody wants to do this or that. To me, there’s an expectation when we run out the tunnel, this is the brand, aight. This is the culture, this is what people expect to see. And we have a responsibility and obligation to do it to a certain standard. And a certain, you know, level of excellence, and with a lot of character. So that’s kinda how I try to preach it.”

Nick Saban is worried not just about winning football games, but also continuing the traditions started so many decades ago. He understands the program. What traditions, rituals uniforms, fight songs, etc. mean to the same fans that have filled the stadium for fifty years.