Are folks worried college sports are losing their soul? Absolutely. Can they adapt? Yes—but the next move is crucial. With pay-for-play becoming the norm, a lot of people are worried that college football, in particular, is losing its way. The sport’s future is at a crossroads—will tradition win out, or is this the new reality? Nobody knows for sure, but after CFB snubbed Alabama in the playoffs, the school’s athletic director made one thing clear: they’ll need to rethink how they schedule non-conference games moving forward. Change is coming, and the stakes are high.

And as college athletics continue to evolve, Alabama is making moves to stay ahead. Their commitment to excellence remains, but change is coming. In line with what many peer universities are already doing, a new policy will soon appear in your season ticket renewal application, as per Alabama’s AD, Greg Byrne’s recent email. It’s a bold—some might say diabolical, while others call it “stupid decision making”—move, shaking up the game for fans. The Crimson Tide isn’t just adapting—they’re setting the tone for what’s next.

As per CBS Sports’ Mike Rodak on January 31 on X, Bryne sent quite a shocking email to University of Alabama supporters. “As we navigate the evolving landscape in college athletics, we are working diligently to ensure we continue to uphold the standard of excellence that is expected at Alabama,” the email began.

“Related to this effort, we are making you aware of a change that many of our peer universities already administer and will be reflected in your upcoming season ticket renewal application. Effective this fall, the athletics department will no longer cover the 10 percent sales tax on athletic tickets. With this change, you will see the addition of state and local sales tax – which is set by and paid to the respective tax authorities – on your 2025 Football TIDE PRIDE and season ticket renewal application that is set to be distributed next week. Please note that sales tax will only apply to the ‘ticket’ portion of the overall cost and does not apply to the TIDE PRIDE contribution.

“While there have been numerous changes in college athletics over the last few years, one thing that remains constant and crucial to Alabama’s distinct success is the strong support that our fans provide to our student-athletes and coaches. We will continue to make game days in Tuscaloosa second to none, invest in our fan experience, and achieve historic success.

“We are grateful for your unwavering support and loyalty to Alabama Athletic,” it read.

Notably, this comes merely weeks after AL.com reported that Alabama Athletics had experienced a staggering $28 million loss department-wide. As per the report, UA Athletics reported $234,825,632 in revenue for the 2024 fiscal year, as opposed to $262,789,471 in expenditure, which brings the net loss to $27,963,839. But that’s not all…

This is the second-straight year of losses for the university’s athletics department. In the fiscal year 2023, UA had reported $199.9 million in revenue, and $212 million in department-wide spending. While UA’s open records and project specialist Jessica Schingle explained the loss by informing, “The net loss reported for the year was largely due to one-time expenses associated with the football coaching transition,” in an email, it still paints a pretty grim picture—especially after Bryne had thrown some light on their financial difficulties just weeks earlier.

Top Comment by Mjrec

This past week not only did I get the 10% price increase but they tried to take away my wife’s...more

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On December 18 last year, the UA Athletic Director had made a heartfelt plea on social media. “Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama. It is time for the Bama Nation to fight back.” But how exactly does Byrne expect fans to fight back?

By asking fans to consider subscribing to “Yea Alabama”, which is Alabama’s NIL entity. “The good news is when @yea_ala was created last year, the focus was on providing our fans with a legitimate product rather than booster inducements. @yea_ala delivers exclusive content and access you cannot get anywhere else. We also have a plan to grow @yea_ala ’s offerings with more videos, features and news in 2025.  

“So, please visit https://yea-alabama.com/join/ to join!”

“A subscription to @yea_ala isn’t about the now; it’s about the future. It’s about roster retention for future seasons – keeping our legends in Crimson. It’s about attracting and developing the best recruits in the country to represent the script A. You being a part of the team has never been more important,” the tweet read. 

Having said that, the update rolls out next week, so be ready. A new era of ticketing is here.

And according to Bama insider Mike Rodak, Kalen DeBoer might need to be on high alert. With the new ticket tax hike, longtime fans could start skipping games, and that’s a big problem for Alabama’s home-field energy. What’s more? The frustration seems to be boiling over already, with fans taking to X to voice their stance. Could this move backfire on the program?

Alabama supporters’ opinions on Greg Byrne’s ‘new email’

Alabama’s success has been built on one undeniable force—its fans. Through every twist and turn in college athletics, their unwavering support has been the foundation of Bama’s dominance. The Athletic Director should be grateful for that loyalty—but instead, his latest ticket tax hike has left many fans frustrated. And they’re letting him know. One fan fired off, “One of the most profitable athletic organizations in the world. This guy acts like a greedy mob boss. He’s so overrated.” Another kept it simple, dropping a “😐” in response. The message? Fans aren’t happy, and they’re not staying quiet.

Under Nick Saban, Alabama had raked in massive revenue, with players landing lucrative NIL contracts and NFL deals that add up to billions. Saban’s influence had turned the program into a cash cow. When Greg Byrne joined as AD in 2017, it was with Saban’s backing. His salary started at $980,000, eventually rising to $1.13 million after his 2018 extension. Yet, with the recent ticket tax hike decision by the AD, Alabama fans aren’t happy.

One fan expressed frustration, saying, “Lmfao, Saban brought those boys 1 billion dollars in contracts. Stop taxing the people who show up and make the millionaires pony up.” Another fan, struck by the absurdity of the moment, simply commented, “Wow.” The big money keeps flowing, but the fans are starting to feel the squeeze.

And one fan didn’t hold back, pointing out a bold perspective: “They are basically keeping the face value prices the same, possibly even higher, to raise more cash for NIL, all while hiding behind the sales tax transfer to ticket holders. Notice @Greg_Byrne doesn’t mention anything about NIL, but that’s where the 10% is going.” So, fans are starting to see through the veil, questioning if the ticket hikes are really about supporting the players or padding the NIL fund.

And then there was another X user who didn’t mince their words at all. “@UA_Athletics is imploding and it’s all thanks to @Greg_Byrne stupid decision making. Saban has left and every brick he used is being broken down by Byrne Bama is going to be the laughing stock after being the standard for so long,” they wrote. 

Will fans still pack the stands with the added cost? Well, DeBoer’s counting on it.