Since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa to coach the Alabama football team two things have been going up–interest in the Alabama Crimson Tide and revenue from the Alabama football program. Licensed merchandise sales for the Alabama Crimson Tide has surged up 250% since 2005, and in the same period of time, another indicator of interest in Alabama has likewise surged upward–search volume.
An examination of Google search trends shows just how much growth in search level volume (an indicator of interest) has unfolded since 2004. In the above graph, you can see the levels of interest in Alabama football around 2005-2006 under Coach Mike Shula.