September is National Recovery Month, and Collegiate Recovery and Intervention Services (CRIS) is dedicated to showing what recovery truly looks like and how students in recovery can thrive in community. At The University of Alabama, recovery has a seat at the tailgate, and students choosing a sober lifestyle have a place to belong and a community to support them.
Sober tailgates provide an environment where students can connect, celebrate, and thrive. One student said:
“It gives me a place to go where I can be around other sober people and have fun with friends. If it weren’t for the tailgate I would be at home alone.”
Natalie Holland, the Collegiate Recovery Community coordinator, believes that sober tailgates are not only impactful for students in recovery, but for the broader campus community as well.
“Sober tailgates provide a safe and substance free space for our students in recovery. It also sends a message to the broader campus: fun doesn’t have to involve alcohol,” she said. “We can embrace the Alabama football culture and show that recovery is not about missing out. It is about finding new ways to thrive.”
This September, CRIS is promoting the Yellow Balloon Project. The name comes from the yellow balloons that fly high above the tailgate tent so students and supporters can spot it in the crowd. Recovery allies can also purchase yellow balloon shirts this month to help show their support. CRIS hopes the project will raise awareness of the community and resources available on campus.
Alex Liveoak, assistant director of the Collegiate Recovery Community, highlights the sense of belonging created through these events.
“My favorite scene in the fall is our tailgate where our students can enjoy Alabama football at a place where they feel they belong,” he said. “They also all go to the game together, which is great to see because if not for our tailgate, they would most likely either not go or be sitting alone.”
The impact is not only clear when it comes to finding community but also helping these students thrive in the classroom. One hundred percent of students in the Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) say it has helped them persist in their education and has enhanced their UA experience. The numbers back it up as well. CRC students’ average GPA rose from 2.2 before joining to 3.5 in Spring 2025.
Recovery Month is about more than awareness. It is about belonging and thriving together.