History of the Iron Bowl

The epitome of football rivalry, the Iron Bowl matchup is a serious matter to Alabama residents from north to south. Originally, the two schools in question were quite different. The University of Alabama represented the elite of Alabama society often spawning doctors, politicians and lawyers. Auburn University had a reputation for being a "redneck" school because of their strong focus on agriculture. The brawl between social classes played out on the field as the college football programs developed.

Today, academically the differences between Auburn and Alabama scholastically are minimal but the fan obsession lives on. Alabama holds the record for bowl game wins but to be fair this may be in part because they had home field advantage for forty years.

The first official game for the two teams was on February 22, 1893 in Birmingham, Alabama. Auburn won but there was so much animosity between the schools that the 1907 tie game triggered a temporary suspension. 41 years later the suspension was lifted by order of the Alabama House of Representatives. The bowl game was held in "neutral territory" in Birmingham, Alabama. The rivalry game got its name "The Iron Bowl" because of the rich iron deposits found in the area.

Eventually this neutral location felt more like a home game for Alabama due to the rousing support for the Tide by the locals. The rise of legendary Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant referred to Auburn as "that cow college on the other side of the state."

In December of 1989 the Alabama Crimson Tide played on the Auburn University campus for the first time. Tigers took the win and the game ended with the score of 30-20. To Auburn fan this day is known as the greatest day in the history of Auburn football.

Here are some other interesting dates and facts about the Iron Bowl.

• 1954: The Auburn Tigers won 28-0. This win began a five-year domination by the Tigers.

• 1960: This year was the lowest scoring Iron Bowl. Alabama won 3-0.

• 1967: Kenny Stabler made a 53 yard touchdown for the Tide ending the game with a score of 7-3.

• 1975: Shug Jordan, coach for Auburn left the university after Alabama won 28-0.

• 1981: Coach Pat Dye led his first team to the Iron Bowl but lost to Paul Bear Bryant's Tide with an ending score of 28-17.

• 1999: Alabama grabs their first win playing at Auburn, 28-17.

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