Attendance grows for Alabama's A-Day spring football game

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Bryant-Denny Stadium just before kickoff of the 2016 A-Day game.

(Michael Casagrande/mcasagrande@al.com)

Morning rain showers gave way to a nice afternoon in Tuscaloosa. With it, the A-Day crowd in Bryant-Denny Stadium was larger than the previous year for the first time since 2011.

Attendance was announced at 76,212 - up from the 65,175 from last April. The 2011 crowd of 92,310 remains the school record. The Nick Saban statue was unveiled that afternoon.

"This was a really outstanding day for me, personally," Saban said Saturday. "We had a great crowd out there. I know our players certainly appreciate the support and passion that our fans have. It's always good to see our fans come out and support next year's team, which is what we're trying to develop."

The White team beat the Crimson 7-3 on a day for defenses.

Ohio State broke its own national record for the largest spring game crowd Saturday. Attendance in Columbus was announced at 100,189. In Athens, Georgia set the SEC record with 93,000 on hand for Kirby Smart's first spring game.