Alabama football suffered its first loss of the season in the second week of the year and nearly fell to 1-2 last weekend. The Crimson Tide do not look like Nick Saban teams of old and there is a lot of chatter surrounding this team’s ceiling.
Where the conversation surrounding “is Alabama dead?” has been laughable in the past, this 2023 season might be the first year in which it is a legitimate question. Through the first three games, at least.
Saban made it abundantly clear throughout spring ball and fall camp that he was not overly confident in his quarterback group. Jalen Milroe struggled in the loss to Texas, but Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson were not any better during a sloppy road win over USF last weekend.
Milroe showed great leadership in South Florida and was renamed the starter for Saturday’s game against Ole Miss. The former four-star recruit has shown flashes of greatness so it is far too early to count him out.
However, even though there is a lot of season left, there was a palpable change in attitude amongst the Crimson Tide fanbase after the early loss to the Longhorns. It has also translated to the local economy.
Alabama hotel prices are way down.
According to ESPN’s Chris Low, Tuscaloosa hotels took a “hit” after Alabama dropped its game against Texas. A manager at one of the “middle tier” hotels that is located 15 minutes from campus told him that their nightly rate dropped to the $700 for this weekend’s home game against Ole Miss.
Hotel prices on college football game day weekends is one of the biggest money grabs in sports, and that is even more true in the SEC. A room that might go for $150/300 during the week will usually cost about $1,000 per night on big game weekends. That is often the case for hotels up to an hour away from the city itself.
Rarely, if ever, do rooms cost $700 per night on a home weekend.
Especially at a “middle tier” level near campus. Especially in Tuscaloosa. And especially for a top-25 divisional matchup against Lane Kiffin.
Well, that is exactly the case this weekend. Texas’ win took wind out of Alabama’s sails.
Fans aren’t as eager to travel to Tuscaloosa and pay astronomical prices to ensure that they will be at Bryant-Denny Stadium. They’d rather just watch it at home.
Somewhere off of The Strip, a busker plays the world’s smallest violin for the Crimson Tide hotels. A real shame.