Sacred Space and Football

Since we’ve been reading about sacred space and all I thought about my paper as the reading went on, how my topic fits in with religions and the sacred spaces created in them.
Alabama football is no different. From the statues that stand in the North Plaza of the stadium, to the Bryant Museum, to the crest in the floor of the locker room Alabama football is not short on sacred spaces.
The statues, indeed the North Plaza as a whole is set aside as a sacred space in Alabama football lore. The statues are larger than life towering over passersby, the walkway leading from University Blvd to the stadium (known to fans as the Walk of Champions) is covered with granite inlays paying tribute to every conference championship and national championship the team has in its history. Bear’s office in the Bryant Museum is roped off and left much like it would have if Bryant were still coach. My favorite, the Alabama seal in the floor of the locker room has its own rules, no single player can ever stand on the crest without a teammate with him.
I even have a shirt that talks about Bryant Denny with the words “This is true sacred ground… let us bow our heads and play!”
These spaces are sacred to fans because of the connections they give us to our collective past. To see those statues in some way affirms my fandom as a part of something greater than myself. To walk the path that the players take, to stand in the presence of Bear’s desk, to get chills at the sound of Bear’s voice booming thru the stadium give me a… well, a religious experience.