Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Bryant-Denny hits record-breaking decibel levels in Alabama vs. LSU game
If you’ve been to an Alabama game in the past few weeks, you know that crowd noise has been a big part of the Tide’s exciting victories versus Tennessee and, more recently, LSU.
When Nick Saban told the fans to get loud
Prior to Alabama’s home game versus Tennessee, Nick Saban urged fans to get loud, saying:
“You create the momentum of the game by what you do as fans. Don’t worry about the players creating it—you create it for them. One time, one time I’m asking you to do that.”
Nick Saban
The fans delivered, creating an electric atmosphere in which Alabama won 34-20 versus the Volunteers.
But the fans didn’t stop at “one time.” After a bye week following the Tennessee game, Alabama welcomed LSU to Bryant Denny for another intense game at home—this time at night.
As the lights came on at the sold-out stadium, the huge screens once again played the clip of Nick Saban’s request, reminding fans to get just as loud as they did for Tennessee.
This time, they got even louder.
A record-breaking decibel level at Bryant-Denny
With no more than a seven-point spread until the fourth quarter, decibel levels were consistently high in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night. Several times, the noise cost the Tigers yardage.
But there was one moment that had fans really thundering. Dallas Turner tipped LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels’ attempted pass, and Terrion Arnold snagged the interception at the LSU 35 and ran 10 yards. The decibel level: 113.1—a record-breaker.
After the roaring reaction, a 25-yard drive from the Tide resulted in a 14-point lead, securing a 42-28 victory in the end. It seems that fans heard Saban loud and clear—and proved him right. “You create the momentum of the game by what you do as fans.”
Tips from a hearing expert
We talked with Jill Smith, Director of Hearing and Speech at Children’s of Alabama, about how to avoid the negative affects of these high decibel levels. Her top two tips are:
- Wear hearing protection—earplugs that go into the ear and fit appropriately.
- Give your ears a break from the noise—step out into the concourse periodically.
Here are signs that it’s too loud:
- You must raise your voice to be heard.
- You can’t hear or understand someone 3 feet away from you.
- Speech around you sounds muffled or dull after you leave the noisy area.
- You have pain or ringing in your ears after you hear the noise, called tinnitus. It can last for a few minutes or a few days.
We likely won’t hear volumes like this at Bryant-Denny Stadium again this year. Two of the three remaining games in the regular season are away games (at SEC rivals Kentucky and Auburn), and we’d be surprised to see the Chattanooga game break 113.1 decibels.
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