TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Kalen DeBoer’s debut game with Alabama involved a slight alteration to the Crimson Tide’s classic uniforms. Well, at least some of them.

Alabama’s four permanent team captains — Tyler Booker, Deontae Lawson, Jalen Milroe and Malachi Moore — all wore C patches on their jerseys during the Tide’s season-opening victory against Western Kentucky over the weekend.

The new feature comes after Alabama changed its tradition by voting on team captains at the beginning of the season as opposed to during its annual team banquet in December as it had in previous years. This is the first time Alabama’s captains have worn a C patches on their jerseys. DeBoer’s captains have displayed them on their jerseys at the head coach’s previous stops.

“It’s an honor to be a captain,” DeBoer said. “With that, I’ve always liked to have that understood through a C on the jersey, which I think is really cool for those guys to wear.”

Jersey alterations — even ones as minor as the C patch — are a rarity at Alabama. The last noticeable change came in 2021 when the SEC added a logo on the front right shoulder. Graduates also have their status signified under that patch.

The Tide’s last major alteration came during a one-game promotional jersey in 2010 when Nike unveiled its “pro combat” uniforms. During its game against Mississippi State that season, Alabama wore a jersey an American flag on the right shoulder pad and faint houndstooth pattern inside the front numbers.

When asked Monday, DeBoer said he has yet to hear any complaints from Alabama’s traditionalist fans regarding the new patch.

“I haven’t because they probably hadn’t seen it or knew about it until the game,” he said with a smile. “It still hasn’t happened since.”