Alabama football released a conference-mandated availability report for the first time in program history on Wednesday. The SEC began requiring teams to release them daily, beginning on the Wednesday of conference game weeks for the 2024 season.
The Crimson Tide’s Saturday matchup with Georgia was its first report of the season. Alabama previously played and beat Western Kentucky, South Florida and Wisconsin, but was not required to submit availability reports for those games, as they weren’t SEC contests.
The league instituted the reports in order to curb the demand for information caused by sports gambling. Teams are required to announce players who are out, doubtful, questionable and probable due to injures, illness, and any other factors.
“I get it,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said in August of the reports. “I get why it could be necessary, helpful. I talk to our guys all the time about, obviously the gambling from their end and how that’s not allowed and you can’t get involved in that, but also any information getting out of our program and how that impacts the outside world, outside of our bubble. So I get it, and whatever we’ve gotta do, whatever they put in place, we’ll abide by it.
The Crimson Tide only listed three players on its Wednesday report. Linebackers Qua Russaw and Jeremiah Alexander were listed as probable.
Running back Richard Young was also probable on the list.
Notable players who weren’t listed included Cole Adams and Malachi Moore. Moore suffered a head injury in the Wisconsin game, and Adams hurt his arm against South Florida.
Alabama and Georgia are scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Tuscaloosa. The game will be aired on ABC.