This is something you don’t see every day, at least when it comes to college football.
Making its debut in 2015, the sideline medical tent used by the Alabama football team has since gained a significant foothold in the sport, with more than 70 high school, college and pro teams using the structures during games to aid in the evaluation of injuries. According to al.com and ESPN, the University of Alabama has, following a 15-month process, now been awarded a patent for a tent that is now officially named the SidelineER.
From the website’s report:... the collapsible sideline workstation was created by UA sports medicine director Jeff Allen and four mechanical engineering students. It debuted in 2015 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The following year, the university licensed the technology to Kinematic Sports -- a company formed by Allen and two of the students who worked on the project, Jared Cassity and Patrick Powell.
The University Of Alabama has been granted a patent for its portable sideline tent, first developed at school under SidelinER name in 2015 pic.twitter.com/OetMNyphRm
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 12, 2018
“It’s taken off because physicians and athletic trainers recognize the definite need for a product like this on their sideline,” Allen said in quotes distributed by the university. “It’s very easy to operate and easy to use, so people see it can be beneficial.”
There’s also at least one non-medical advantage to having the tent on the sidelines.
“If you gotta use the restroom, you can go in there,” former Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard told USA Today in a story that was published in January of 2016. “Sometimes you might have to (urinate) in a bottle or something. I’ve heard of guys doing that before. I think it’s cool how it pops up and then pops back down, but most of all it keeps you from having to go all the way to locker room. You can go in there, change, put on (a different piece of equipment) if you have to. It’s very convenient.”