What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on in Tuscaloosa?
Alabama is negotiating to schedule a home-and-home football series with Notre Dame, The Tuscaloosa News has learned. Alabama is also working on a home-and-home deal with Texas.
The Crimson Tide last participated in an out-of-conference home-and-home series in 2010-11 against Penn State, hosting the Nittany Lions in 2010 and traveling to State College, Pa., in 2011.
UA Director of Athletics Greg Byrne would not confirm the schools are in talks, but did say the athletic department is pursuing future two-game deals that would have Alabama play a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium and also play on the opposing school’s campus.
Before you ask, yes, Saban appears to be on board with the general concept.
Last September, Saban confirmed on his radio show he and Byrne had discussed scheduling future home-and-home series.
“I would like to do that,” he said. “We played Penn State home and home when I was here and it was a good game here, it was a good game there, great crowd and all that. It’s better for our fans if we play at home, I get that.”
This, from the people who have developed the neutral site opener into a science.
It’s nice that Nick gives lip service to what the fans want, aight, (and in his defense, he’s long been in favor of adding a ninth conference game in part because of the fans) but I’m thinking there has to be an ulterior motive here. I just can’t figure out what it is. Any suggestions?