NEW ORLEANS — When trying to compare the intensity of the Southeastern Conference with other places he has coached, Alabama football coach Nick Saban said recently, “When my friends from the Big Ten come down here and see this atmosphere, they say, ‘We had no idea.’ There’s nothing like it.”
Given the atmosphere in New Orleans the past couple of days, one gets the sense that the BCS Committee had no idea, either. Normally stoic BCS-types — guys accustomed to living through the kind of chaos and fanaticism that only college football brings — have been seen with their jaws agape at the size and scope of these two fan bases.
One glance at the pep rallies Sunday quashed any notions that this was an LSU home game. Thousands of Alabama fans crowded in front of their stage, chanting and singing and enjoying the flavors of New Orleans.
“We always bring the most sidewalk fans,” said a girl named Katelyn, a graduate student at Alabama who, along with her boyfriend and two other students, made the trip from Tuscaloosa to share one room for the weekend.
“I don’t know how many of our fans will be in the stadium. I’m sure it will be a lot. But we’ll definitely have the most fans outside partying.”
The first Alabama-LSU game tended to support Katelyn’s claim. As many as 250,000 people tailgated along the streets and sidewalks of Tuscaloosa for that one. Bryant-Denny Stadium holds 102,000.
Fans of LSU have been out in droves this weekend, as well. Long after the Tigers' official pep rally wound down on Sunday afternoon, a band called Charter 6 continued to cover such party favorites as A-Ha’s “Take on Me,” and Kiss’ “Rock And Roll All Nite,” well past dusk.
Thousands of purple-wearing fans raised a hand in solidarity (the other hand was holding some concoction or another). The most popular drink on the LSU side was the Honey Badger, a shot of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey whiskey dropped into a glass of beer.
“Not half bad,” one of the revelers said when asked how it tasted. “You have to drink it quick, though.”
The party continues well into the night as both fan bases poured onto Bourbon Street. The French Quarter looked like a tamer version of Mardi Gras with occasional whoops of “Roll Tide” and “Go Tigers.” Even the New Orleans cab drivers, normally impervious to parties, couldn’t believe the size of the crowd.
By all accounts, coaches and players have tried to stay out of the limelight and remain as relaxed and calm as possible given the circumstances. If anything, there has been something of a role reversal between Saban and LSU coach Les Miles. The normally jovial and accommodating Miles has taken a much more closed-door approach (even denying access to the rights holders) while Saban has been a lot kinder and gentler this week than in past championship runs.
“When you are preparing for something that's significant, you need to qualify your want to participate,” Miles said. “I think that if you see a team that's a little bit within their own thoughts, that's what they're doing. And I've kind of suggested that's the way to go. But when we take the field, we'll be an emotional, fired-up football team.
"I think there's no way that this team could be contained that way, considering how they've played in this year. They just need to get ready to get there. They'll play well once they get there.”
The crowds have shown no such pregame restraint. They are as full-throated as any in recent BCS Championship Game history. And given the size and enthusiasm of the fan bases from both sides, you can bet that the BCS is thrilled with their decision to have two SEC teams in their championship.
Football aside, from a business standpoint, don’t be surprised if it happens again.
