Unleashing Game Day Energy: The Alabama A&M Bulldogs' Thrilling Home Opener

Introduction

Get ready to kick off the return of football season and celebrate its incredible significance for the Alabama A&M community! The Fans! The Band! The Line Dancing! The tantalizing aroma of smoke from the tailgating grills! Alabama A&M Bulldog Football is BACK on Normals Hill! This Saturday, the AAMU Bulldogs launch their 2025 home opener in the thrilling 15th Annual Louis Crews Classic.

Feel the excitement surging through students, alumni, and supporters! Bulldog Nation's anticipation for this home opener is absolutely electrifying. It's not just any home opener—it's the debut of AAMU's new head coach, Sam Shade! Officially introduced as the Bulldogs' new head football coach in January 2025, Sam Shade is an NCAA champion and NFL veteran who knows how to win and build successful programs. He turned around the DII program at Miles College, leading them to become the 2024 SIAC champions, and not only reaching the NCAA DII playoffs but also securing their first win before a tough game against Valdosta State. Bulldog Nation is eagerly hoping for that same magic to ignite The Hill!

The Game Day Atmosphere

Excitement is buzzing across campus as students gear up for game day! On Wednesday, the energy was electric at the Every Sunny Wednesday (ESW) Pep Rally Edition, where students flocked to The Quad, the heart of campus. They were thrilled by the tradition of D9 organization stepping and strolling, captivated by the powerful sounds of the Marching Maroon and White Band, and inspired by words from Coach Shade. But the excitement doesn't end there! On Friday at 8:00 AM, the Louis Crews Coach's Breakfast will kick off at the Ernest Knight Center, featuring Coach Sam Shade as the guest speaker. Get ready for an unforgettable experience!

On game day, before the kickoff, fans have the chance to dive into the legendary Bulldog Walk starting at 4:30 PM. This iconic tradition lets you catch a glimpse of players, coaches, and our beloved live mascots, Butch-Henry and his partner in crime, Butch-Albert. Then, at 6:00 PM CST, it’s going to be epic! Fans will flood the stands as the Marching Maroon and White storm into the stadium, playing "Backstabbers" and fans gearing up to shout, "What they do?" The game day theme is White Out, and we need every Bulldog fan decked out in white! If you don’t have anything white, dash to Walmart and snag a shirt—seriously, go now! Dray The Voice will be hyping up the crowd as the game day host, keeping everyone on their feet. And don’t forget DJ KB, who will be dropping beats throughout the game. Join us and discover why AAMU is proudly known as "Line Dance U." You won’t want to miss it!

The Rivalry

Meet the rival team: the Alcorn State Braves from Lorman, MS, who are set to face off against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. It's been a while since they last played each other. The game was supposed to happen back in February 2021, but the Braves skipped the 2021 spring season due to COVID. Both teams are coming into this matchup after losing their first game of the season and are eager to snag a win. The Bulldogs are currently ahead in their series with a 12-11 lead and are hoping to bump that up to 13-11. They've also got a 5-game winning streak against the Braves, with their biggest win being 28-14 on November 5, 2011.

Not only will the teams face off, but the stands will come alive with an epic battle between the Marching Maroon and White and the Sounds of Dynamite. If you're a fan of HBCU band culture, you know the excitement starts early with the Zero Quarter. And the thrills don't end there—stick around for the 5th Quarter after the game!

Community Support

The AAMU Bulldog football program has a lot of fresh faces. We've got a new head coach, a new coaching team, and some new players. Bulldog Nation, it's time to rally behind this program! Whether you're a student, an alum, or part of the Huntsville community, we need you. On our show this Tuesday, T. Gooden shared his game keys, which included players and coaches doing their part, but he also emphasized that we, the fans, have a role too. Our job? Show up in huge numbers and cheer our hearts out for the Bulldogs. Just like our fight song says, "Stand up and cheer, Cheer long and loud for Dear Old Normal." The energy from the fans is what fuels our players—they thrive on it. When they see and feel our support, we'll see some real DAWGS out there on the field.

Conclusion

I'll say this to wrap this up. Let's set the tone for this season and let's set it right. We have some great things happening on The Hill with a new incoming freshman class record, campus improvements, and embarking on the 150th anniversary of our beloved Alabama A&M University. It's time to get behind our athletic teams and show them why coming to The Hill will be one of the best decisions in life they ever made. Go Bulldogs!