Alabama Crimson Tide Football at Bryant-Denny Stadium
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is home to one of the most legendary programs in all of college sports: the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football. Coach Nick Saban has led the Tide to new heights within the last decade, taking Alabama to BCS Championships in 2009, 2011 and 2012, and to appearances in the first five College Football Playoffs, winning in 2015, 2017 and 2020. Alabama plays at Bryant-Denny Stadium, which originally opened in 1929 and has over the years expanded to a capacity of 101,821. They play in the West division of the Southeastern Conference, where they've won 10 championships through the 2022-2023 season.
Alabama Crimson Tide Football History
The Alabama Crimson Tide have won 18 national championships, starting in 1925 under Wallace Wade, and continuing into the Nick Saban era. Some of the greatest coaches of all time have led the Tide, including Frank Thomas, Gene Stallings and Paul "Bear" Bryant, who led Alabama to six national titles while coaching the team from 1958 to 1982. Alabama is also home to two Heisman Trophy winners: Mark Ingram, Jr. in 2009, Derrick Henry in 2015, DeVonta Smith in 2020 and Bryce Young in 2021, in addition to such legendary players as Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, Ozzie Newsome and Derrick Thomas.
Alabama has plenty of rivals in and out of the SEC, but their biggest nemesis by far are the Auburn Tigers, who they play annually in the Iron Bowl. The rivalry began in 1893, but no games were held between 1907 and 1948 after disagreements over incidental game details got out of hand. The rivalry grew with the prestige of both football programs, with Auburn coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan being credited for coining the Iron Bowl name in 1964. The Iron Bowl has become an important game in college football in the 21st century, with at least one team ranked in the Top 25 entering the game every year since 2004. And between 2008 and 2018, at least one team in the Auburn-Alabama rivalry had been ranked either first or second going into the Iron Bowl, giving national title implications to an already bitter in-state feud.
