Johnny Manziel will make his return to Tuscaloosa on Saturday to support Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt in their college football game against Alabama. He will also stop at a bar prior to kickoff.
It is a rather polarizing decision by one of the newest spots on the Strip.
Some college football fans won’t think twice about the optics of this special guest appearance. Others vow to never step foot in a business that promotes a player who is rooting against the Crimson Tide.
Diego Pavia is the biggest star in Nashville.
I don’t quite know how, but the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner somehow became friends with the current Commodores signal-caller in recent months. They share similar personalities so it makes sense but it is still an unusual pairing.
Manziel traveled to Nashville over the weekend to watch Pavia go for six total touchdowns against Utah State. They also went out to dinner after the 20-point win and got a table on the rooftop at Whiskey Row.
Both guys are millionaires at this point so they spared no expense on postgame bottle service.
As weird as it was for a 32-year-old to party with a 24-year-old, it was in Nashville so whatever.
Johnny Manziel is pulling up to Alabama.
Here is where it gets kinda weird.
Manziel will attend Saturday’s game between Vanderbilt and Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He is going to wear a Pavia jersey.
Here’s the full exchange from the @NightcapShow_ featuring Manziel, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco.
— Dylan Tovitz (@Dtovitz) September 29, 2025
The hype train to Tuscaloosa just got a little bit louder. https://t.co/xKzWsTR1AI pic.twitter.com/fG1MCASjT0
This is great publicity for the Dores. Clark Lea and company will have some extra juice. That’s fine.
However, Manziel played at Texas A&M more than a decade ago. He does not have any direct ties to this game other than his new friend, Pavia, and a win over the Crimson Tide in 2012 that really put him on the map. It’s a strange connection. Why would he not return to Bryant-Denny to support his alma mater?
Whatever. No point in losing sleep over it. Moving on!
Two Dimes will host the enemy.
Two Dimes is the newest bar on the strip in Tuscaloosa. It opened in August at the former location of Druid City Music Hall with the goal of providing a Nashville experience. I’ve heard good things!
With that being said, there is a rebellion in the works.
Two Dimes will host Johnny Manziel (and Colby Covington) as its special game day guests on Saturday. Sam Feldt will be on the decks.
A large number of Alabama fans are furious. They do not understand why a bar in Tuscaloosa would host a player who is perhaps most famous for beating the Crimson Tide, who will root for the Commodores.
“Get him out he’s literally gonna be helping vandy this weekend,” replied @ethang045.
“Get the Vandy lover outta here,” said @ktav72.
“Anyone who attends this needs to be denied into Bryant Denny as well as be expelled from campus if a current student/have degree revoked if a graduate. I cannot in good conscience stand by without calling out this injustice. If the owner of this bar had any integrity he would cancel this event and cease operations to save face. Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,” chimed @jackrusevlyan.
Yikes. People are not happy.
Don’t get me wrong, I fully expect Two Dimes to be at capacity. I don’t know if this will have a long-term effect on business. I don’t think the students are going to care that much. Even still, it is a BOLD move for a new bar at Alabama to bring back Johnny Manziel for a game he wants the Tide to lose.