Alabama and USC is a Great Matchup but Fans Deserve More

In an era where high-profile matchups are few and far between, fans and media have been quick to celebrate the game between college football powerhouses Alabama and Southern Cal, which the schools announced would open the 2016 season at the Cowboys Classic.

But Crimson Tide fans deserve more.

Not because USC isn't a premiere opponent or because Alabama supporters are superior to other fanbases. That's not the issue. Rather, we have reached the point where the imbalance between cost of attendance and fan experience has become lopsided enough that Alabama fans will stop travelling to neutral site regular season games if some changes aren't made.

That 2016 Cowboys Classic is still three seasons away but by the time the Tide and the Trojans kick off in North Texas, Alabama will have opened the season in Atlanta or Dallas for five straight years and 7 of 9 from 2008-2016. That's not even factoring in appearances in the SEC Championship Game, which is Alabama's goal each season. If you include December trips, that's 10 appearances in Atlanta or Dallas in just nine seasons.

The novelty has worn off.

Look, these games clearly have a benefit. By playing in these two cities so frequently, Nick Saban and his staff are able to give their program major exposure in two of the country's biggest recruiting hotbeds. That has been one of the reasons why the Crimson Tide continues to reel in top-ranked classes on a yearly basis.

There's no question that games against USC and Michigan are the ultimate goal, but will fans get tired of booking the same trip every year to see it in person? We might be finding out sooner than later because of three reasons in particular:

1. Ticket and travel costs have made fans more selective.

We have entered the College Football playoff era. While that's a step forward for deciding champions (we hope), it's a step backwards for the cost of attendance. If you pull for a team that will contend for a playoff berth, you now have to prioritize your travel schedule. Will you go to the conference championship? Can you afford the semifinal game on the other side of the country? What about the opportunity to watch your team play for a title?

If you have the money for one trip each year and the championship game is even a small possibility, why would you spend the money to watch another game in a Dallas or Atlanta? This breakdown of how much 'face value' tickets are going to run you answers that question pretty clearly. The first thing to cut will be repeat trips for a game in August or September.

And this is all assuming you're fortunate enough to have the disposable income to go anywhere outside of a home game. Which brings us to the next, and most important, point.

2. The Alabama fans who have shown the most loyalty are being neglected.

Tens of thousands of fans travel to Tuscaloosa seven or eight times every year to support The University of Alabama. They've been buying tickets despite the ever-increasing prices and criticized for leaving games early.

But what incentives have fans been given to continue spending hard-earned money on season tickets? A guarantee that Auburn, LSU, and Tennessee will rotate back onto the home schedule every other year and maybe you'll get to see Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina once ever 3-5 years? Let's hope those games don't fall on a down year or the wait continues.

Plus, you'll have to sit through the likes of Georgia State, Louisiana-Monroe, Chattanooga, Tulane, and Western Kentucky for a huge chunk of the fall. Just take the 2014 schedule for instance. Alabama fans will spend 43% of their time in Tuscaloosa this year watching Florida Atlantic, Southern Miss, and Western Carolina. 43 PERCENT.

That's laughable.

And that's exactly why home-and-home series should become a bigger priority. Even if it's too difficult to work out dates with other elite programs, scheduling '2nd-tier' schools from major conferences is still a better option. Not only are fans rewarded for buying season tickets, but they're also given an opportunity to visit another campus and experience a unique game day atmosphere (which you'll never recreate at neutral site venues).

Ask any Alabama fan what their favorite regular season non-conference game was over the past seven years and you'll almost always hear Penn State.

3. There are plenty other locations that would satisfy all parties.

There's a value in neutral site games and Saban has made it clear that he prefers this one-year agreement so let's assume these matchups will never go away. If home-and-home options are off the table, why not expand the rotation of neutral sites?

Here are five venues that would benefit the Alabama program and give fans a new travel destination:

• Nashville - This city could soon become what Atlanta is to recruiting. It's also an affordable trip to a city with a lot of Alabama fans and a great place to spend a weekend.
• Cincinnati - There have been rumors of talks between the Crimson Tide and Bearcats, which would be a homerun for both parties. Sure, it's not a great football school, but the state of Ohio houses some of the nation's top athletes and would send the program above the Mason-Dixon Line.
• Washington D.C. - Saban's staff has recruited the Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. areas pretty heavily in recent years. Playing in the Redskins' NFL stadium there would be a great fit.
• Houston - Want to stay in Texas? This trip would accomplish that and also give Louisiana recruits a short trip to see the Tide play.
• San Diego - Obviously this would be an ideal vacation for Bama fans, but the program could build on the inroads it has already made in California.

There will always be logistical dilemmas and financial hurdles to overcome, but there's a clear need for fans that needs to be met. It's up to Alabama and other schools to start catering more to the fan base or face further attendance declines.

The 2016 Cowboy Classic will undoubtedly have overwhelming interest, but let's hope Alabama fans get to enjoy that game inside Bryant-Denny Stadium in the near future.