From Nick Saban to Keith Urban: Alabama’s buzziest stories in 2024
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If you’re already a reader of The Bama Buzz, you know we won’t dive deep into the world of politics or crime but there were still plenty of big stories to cover in 2024.
From major events in the sports world to Alabamians on the big stage to new business in our state, Alabama was making national (and even international!) headlines all year.
ICYMI: The biggest openings and closings in Alabama in 2024
We’ve compiled our 12 biggest stories from the year that you loved reading and that we loved writing about. Here’s a quick recap of the year, starting with the news that shocked the college football world in January.
Jan. 10: Nick Saban retires
It was the story that dominated the news all year long. Nick Saban announced his retirement just over a week after Alabama’s Rose Bowl loss to Michigan.
His coaching career may have ended up but Saban remained in national headlines throughout the year for stories including:
- Nick Saban stars on first night of ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage
- Nick Saban appearance highlight first A-Day of Kalen DeBoer era
- Nick Saban among 7 people to be inducted into Alabama Business Hall of Fame
- Nick Saban debuts in new position on College Gameday, picks Tide to make playoff
- Nick Saban makes hilarious appearance in new VRBO commercial
- Saban Field dedication to feature pregame + halftime events
March 28: National Monument to Freedom opens in Montgomery
Freedom Monument Sculpture Park is the newest location as a part of the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Sites in Montgomery. The park includes the National Monument to Freedom along with several sculptures made of bronze, granite, wood, and steel.
“At this 17-acre site along the very river where tens of thousands of enslaved people were trafficked, breathtaking art and original artifacts invite an immersive, interactive journey and provide a unique view into the lives of enslaved people.”
~ EJI says about the park on its website
March 30: Alabama clinches first ever Final Four trip
It was a busy March Madness for college basketball fans in our state as four in-state schools made it to the big dance on the men’s side with two more making the women’s tournament.
No team went as far as the Crimson Tide men’s team did though. Alabama won four games to secure the program’s first ever trip to the Final Four:
- First round: #4 Alabama 109, #13 Charleston 96
- Second round: #4 Alabama 72, #12 Grand Canyon 61
- Sweet 16: #4 Alabama 89, #1 North Carolina 87
- Elite 8: #4 Alabama 89, #6 Clemson 82
The Tide’s run eventually came to an end against UConn, a team that went on to win its second straight national title.
April 8: Alabamians watch solar eclipse
If you were in Alabama for the solar eclipse in the spring, you may not have gotten to see 100% totality. But if you were fortunate enough to be in a spot without too many clouds, you still got to witness a pretty incredible sight.
You could really start to see the moon slowly get in the way of the sun around 1PM with the sun slowly turning into a sliver over the next hour. The peak totality for Alabama happened around 2PM, maxing out at 80% of the sun covered in most areas of the state.
April 25: Wawa opens first stores in Alabama
The popular gas station and convenience store has finally landed in Alabama. The first opened in Mobile with four stores now open near the coast.
Wawa is a Philadelphia-based company with most locations in the Northeastern United States. They’re known for delicious milkshakes, a seasonal rotation of fresh coffee and kitchens whipping up yummy bites from hoagies to quesadillas.
May: Alabamians win TV competitions
It was a busy year for Alabama natives on national TV but two people stood out above the rest of their competition.
In the kitchen, Opelika’s Bryson McGlynn did enough to impress legendary chef Gordon Ramsey and claim the MasterChef Junior title.
With the victory, Bryson celebrated with his family before receiving hugs from the judges. He was handed the trophy which was just the start of his winnings that included new kitchenware + a cash prize of $100,000.
A few days later, Selma native Asher HaVon finished in the top spot on The Voice.
Havon became the first Alabamian to ever win the competition. He was the fourth person from Alabama to make it to the finale with the first three all finishing in third place during their respective seasons.
May 23: Baldwin Beach Express becomes toll free
It was one of the biggest events of the year for beachgoers in and around Alabama.
The state of Alabama officially bought the heavily-used bridge and announced it would be eliminating the $5 toll for all cars starting in May.
The elimination of tolls on the Baldwin Beach Express is just a step in the master plan to make getting to Alabama’s beaches an easier experience for travelers.
June 18: Rickwood Field gets national spotlight
Birmingham’s Rickwood Field holds the title of oldest active ballpark in the country and it got to be in the spotlight this summer, after some major renovations.
The stadium hosted baseball fans from across the country for a three-day event that included:
- Birmingham Barons vs. Montgomery Biscuits game
- Barnstorm Birmingham celebrity softball event
- St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants game
The week was hoping to include an appearance from Birmingham native Willie Mays but the legendary Say Hey Kid passed away on June 18 with the news being announced to the crowd during the minor league game.
July: Alabamians in Paris
The Olympics are something circled on the calendar every two years and this year’s games included several athletes with ties to Alabama. Catch up on some of our stories from the summer:
- Former Crimson Tide athlete Shelby McEwen takes silver at 2024 Olympics
- Troy alum joins elite group with fourth Olympic gold medal
- Mobile native Paige Madden adds to her Olympic medal count in Paris
- Former Auburn star Suni Lee earns Olympic bronze in all-around final
- Tide, Tigers sending 26 current + former athletes to 2024 Olympics
- 2 locals are competing in the Paris Paralympic Games
August 16: Keith Urban plays surprise show at Athens Buc’ees
Country artist Keith Urban posted to his Instagram page about a special pop-up show in Athens, setting the social media world ablaze.
Some may have thought it was just a rumors and it took a while to get anything confirmed but the crowd was already building at the Buc-ee’s. A stage quickly came together and a concert took place in the parking lot.
October: Lulu Gribbin’s return to the water
It was much earlier in the year when Lulu Gribbin’s story captured the nation’s heart and attention. The Mountain Brook teen was victim of a shark attack in June but her recovery has overshadowed the heartbreak of the original story.
Much of her story is being recorded on Instagram, showing off her first steps with a prosthetic and her rehab process to get used to her new arm. But it also shows the support she’s gotten from different celebrities including:
- Taylor Swift
- Steve Gleason
- Nate Oats
- Bruce Pearl
- Justin Thomas
- Dawn Staley
In October, one video might have stood out above the rest as Lulu got the courage to get back in the ocean and get back on a surfboard just months after surviving the shark attack.
Dec. 18: Alabama Shakes reunion show
The Get Up 3’s lineup was already loaded with local talent, bringing hundreds of people to Bama Theatre Wednesday night. But the highlight of the show may have been the people not on the schedule.
Grammy-award winning artist Brittany Howard interrupted her own solo set by bringing out her former band, Alabama Shakes. It was the first time the band has performed together since 2017 and the crowd responded.
What was your favorite story of 2024? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
