Education
University of Alabama.
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Champ Pickens
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Career
He gave Alabama"s band its name of the "Million Dollar Band." He wrote two of the earliest books on Alabama football. Pickens was manager of the 1896 Alabama team Pickens developed the idea for the Blue–Gray Football Classic.
Pickens bestowed the name "Million Dollar Band" after the 1922 football game against Georgia Technology
Though accounts vary, it is reported that in order for the band to attend the game they had to solicit funds from local businesses. They were able to collect enough funds to ride in a tourist sleeper to the game.
After the game, which Alabama lost 33-7, an Atlanta sportswriter commented to Pickens, "You don"t have much of a team What do you have at Alabama?" Pickens replied, "A Million Dollar Band.".
