Why is it called the Iron Bowl? Origins of the Alabama-Auburn rivalry game played every Thanksgiving weekend explored

The Iron Bowl game between Auburn and Alabama is one of the most anticipated college football games every year. It is one of those rivalries that has a rich history of over 100 years. Now, fans are excited to watch these two SEC rivals battle it out on the gridiron once again this Saturday in a game that could potentially make or break Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide's hopes for a playoff berth.

But do you know the history behind the innovation of the term Iron Bowl? In this article, we will look at the origin of one of the most prevalent rivalries in college football.

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Why is it called the Iron Bowl?

Initially, when the rivalry began in 1893, the Alabama vs Auburn games were played in Birmingham. Up until 1998, these games were hosted in Birmingham before shifting to the campus stadiums of both teams.

Birmingham was known for being an important city in terms of the production of steel, coal and pig iron and was referred to as 'the Pittsburgh of the South'.

During the 1964 season, a Birmingham reporter questioned the then head coach of Auburn Ralph 'Shug' Jordan about how the Tigers weren't going to a bowl game that campaign. To this, Jordan replied:

"We've got out bowl game. We have it every year. It is the Iron Bowl game in Birmingham."

Thus, this gave birth to the Iron Bowl as the term for the Alabama vs Auburn rivalry. Over the years, both of these programs have faced each other 87 times on the gridiron. Alabama has the most wins during the series time in Birmingham, winning 34 of the 53 games prior to 1998.

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Alabama vs Auburn rivalry

So far, the Alabama Crimson Tide leads the series 49-37-1. The largest margin of victory was also recorded by the Crimson Tide when they whitewashed Auburn 55-0 during the 1948 season.

The last time the Auburn Tigers won against their SEC rivals was back in 2019 when they defeated them 48-45 at home. Alabama is currently on a three-game winning streak in this series and is looking forward to extending this lead.

Can Nick Saban's team finish their regular season on a strong note before facing the Georgia Bulldogs for the SEC Championship?