Of the 96,371 fans who attended this year’s Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the majority seemed to don maize and blue. Still, many Alabama fans made the journey and brought the energy of Bryant-Denny Stadium, even though more than 2,000 miles separate Pasadena and Tuscaloosa.
Tuscaloosa resident Caleb Owen, a sophomore majoring in education, was one of several students who made the long trip worthwhile.
“I flew in with a lot of Michigan people,” Owen said. “It was definitely worth it, though. The parade was sick and just driving up and getting pumped [was the best part].”
Scott Summers, who said he has not been to a game since graduating from Alabama in 2020, said the overall atmosphere was a big reason why he went to this game.
“The stadium is beautiful, the scenery is beautiful, two great teams going against each other, so it’ll be a fun day,” Summers said.
Travel was not an issue for Summers, a resident of Santa Clarita, California, and he was able to provide housing for friends who wanted to make the trip, such as 2021 graduate Sam Murphy who made the trip from Dallas, Texas.
“I’m lucky I have a buddy out here. Otherwise it would’ve been an expensive trip,” Murphy said. “I’ve been to a few playoff games but this is the first Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl is the coolest of them all.”
Seeing the Crimson Tide play in not only a College Football Playoff semifinal, but the Rose Bowl, is an unforgettable but expensive experience. According to an email from UA Athletics, Taco Bell provided 500 $20 student tickets to ease the expenses for select UA students. The University also offered students $195 lower-level tickets. Students who opted in received tickets based on their Tide Loyalty Points, and from there, were randomly assigned a $20 or $195 ticket.
Sadie Keller, a junior majoring in mathematics with a Blount Scholars Program minor, opted in with her friends.
“I got the $20 Taco Bell tickets, which is part of the reason I was able to afford going,” Keller said. “The seats were super close and awesome.”
For her first away football game, Keller said she still was able to partake in some home game day traditions.
“My favorite part of the game was when they played Dixieland Delight in the stadium and the entire Alabama student section sang along,” Keller said. “The energy was super high and made the game really fun. I also loved seeing all of the floats in the parade and watching the Million Dollar Band march.”
While the Rose Bowl is an incredible experience in itself, the Rose Parade is another legendary part of New Year’s Day in Pasadena. With several performers, about 40 floats and over 20 marching bands — including both Alabama’s and Michigan’s bands — parading through the streets, the iconic event is part of the appeal for many traveling to the area.
Alex Dillon, a sophomore majoring in biology, said the parade was one of the best parts of the whole experience.
“The band went crazy. Our band, the Million Dollar Band,” Dillon said. “There were a lot of cool floats, but can’t really single one out except for ours.”
Although Dillon had never been to an away Alabama football game before, he also had a friend in the area who made the trip possible.
“It’s the Rose Bowl,” Dillon said. “We were already going to be out here for New Year’s so it made sense.”
