September 28, 1929

The University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide played Mississippi College and won their first game at George Denny Stadium on Sept. 28, 1929. Since then, the stadium has undergone six expansions. In 1937, 6,000 seats were added, bringing capacity to 18,000. After two more expansions in 1950 and 1961, the grandstands reached 61 rows and a capacity of 43,000 fans. In 1966, the grandstands were extended into the end zones, bringing seating to 60,000. In 1988, the press box and west upper deck added 10,000 seats. The east upper deck was added for the 1998 season, supplying 10,000 additional bleacher seats and 81 skyboxes on two levels, raising total seating to 83,818. The 2006 expansion brought seating to 92,138, while the 2010 addition of an upper grandstand raised capacity to more than 101,000, keeping Bryant-Denny Stadium among the country’s largest on-campus football stadiums.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Portrait of George H. Denny, c. 1919. (Corolla, University of Alabama yearbook, Wikipedia)

George Denny (1870-1955) served as president of the University of Alabama for 25 years, overseeing a major expansion of the institution’s facilities, student body and curriculum. He is also known as the leading force in raising the profile of the school’s football program. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library, The University of Alabama Libraries)

Denny Chimes is a bell tower on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa. It was named for former president George Hutcheson Denny, who oversaw a broad expansion of the university during the early 20th century, including its football team. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of The George F. Landegger Collection of Alabama Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, named for former University of Alabama President George Denny and legendary football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, is the home of the UA Crimson Tide football team. It was constructed in 1929 as Denny Stadium, and in 1975 the state Legislature renamed it to honor Bryant. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Paul W. Bryant Museum, University of Alabama)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.