Bryant-Denny, Jordan-Hare, no longer option for Super 7 football championships

Due to the new CFB Playoff model, Alabama and Auburn’s home stadiums will no longer be available for the AHSAA Super 7 championships played in early December. (File Photo)

By TIM GAYLE

The Alabama High School Athletic Association announced on Wednesday that it would be removing Bryant-Denny Stadium and Jordan-Hare Stadium as host sites for the Super 7 football championships because of a possible scheduling conflict with the College Football Playoff.

“We are grateful to the cities of Tuscaloosa, Auburn and Opelika, Auburn University, the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports and Auburn-Opelika Tourism for joining together to host our Super 7 since the rotation began in 2009,” said AHSAA executive director Alvin Briggs. “The experiences and memories provided for our member schools, the teams, their students, and communities have been immeasurable. We understand, however, the conflicts that will be unavoidable in the future based on the expanded CFA playoff structure and format.”

The AHSAA Super 7 is held every year on the first week of December (this year, it is set for Dec. 4-6), while the College Football Playoff will not start until the third week of December (Dec. 20-21) to avoid conflicts with fall semester final exams the previous week.  

Birmingham’s Protective Stadium, which hosts the Super 7 this December, will remain in the AHSAA Super 7 host rotation despite the fact that UAB, along with Troy and South Alabama, remain possible College Football Playoff participants, although their opportunity to host a playoff game is remote.

AHSAA officials are continuing to study other rotation options, Briggs said. Those options could certainly include Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl, although it’s doubtful the facility would be a serious option until some concession and restroom modifications are made to the East stands to accommodate the larger crowds associated with championship events. 

Cramton Bowl does have its place in AHSAA playoff history, hosting the first-ever high school playoff game in the state of Alabama on Nov. 25, 1966 in a 47-7 win by Sidney Lanier over Shades Valley. A week later, on Dec. 2, the first-ever AHSAA state championship game was held at Cramton Bowl as well, with top-ranked Sidney Lanier beating second-ranked Robert E. Lee 9-7 in front of 23,000 fans and a regional television audience.

AHSAA football championships were held at campus sites until 1974 when the Class 6A games were moved to Birmingham’s Legion Field. In 1996, the decision was made to move all six football state championship games to Legion Field and the Super 6 Championships remained there until 2009, when they moved to the University of Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium. 

“The city of Tuscaloosa has proudly hosted many Alabama High School Athletic Association Super 7 Championships since 2009, providing countless athletes, coaches, family members and fans with an unforgettable football experience,” Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox said. “Although Tuscaloosa and Auburn will no longer be able to host due to the expansion of the College Football Playoffs, we are grateful for our partnership with AHSAA and look forward to seeing the event thrive across other cities in Alabama.”

In 2010, the event moved to Auburn University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium as part of a rotation among the state’s two largest universities. 

“Hosting the Super 7 has been a tremendous honor for the city of Auburn,” Auburn mayor Ron Anders said, “The Super 7 serves as a pinnacle moment in the lives of many young students in Alabama. Our city has treated this hosting responsibility with the same level of professionalism that regular visitors to any local athletic event, conference, performance or family gathering have come to expect. Our community has similarly served the teams, families and other Super 7 visitors with a personal investment of time and effort that characterizes the ‘Auburn Spirit.’”

The football championships have alternated between Bryant-Denny Stadium and Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2009, adding an additional game in 2014 with the AHSAA's expansion to seven classifications. It was hosted by Auburn both in 2018 and 2019 as Bryant-Denny Stadium’s North end zone construction necessitated a move in 2019.

Protective Stadium was added as an option in 2021, the same year flag football was added as part of the Super 7 Championships. 

Now, the Super 7 Championships will lose part of the charm for high school football players who have had the opportunity to play on the same surface as Alabama or Auburn football players. 

“Having two of the nation’s biggest rivals come together with their cities to provide the opportunity of a lifetime for our member schools is priceless and we can’t thank them enough,” Briggs said. “What we have been able to do with our championships, thanks to the cooperation of such rivals, has been envied in other states and set a wonderful example for all of us.”