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The Iron Bowl

Alabama vs. Auburn

84 of their 90 meetings are on file: they first met in 1893, and the earliest on file is 1902; officially, Alabama leads 52–⁠37–⁠1; as played, 51–⁠32–⁠1 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Alabama 8–⁠2, and Alabama has won the last 6. The winner takes home the James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy. Alabama holds it. The official count covers every meeting.

Official series
Alabama leads 52–⁠37–⁠1
Alabama wins on file
51
Auburn wins on file
32
Ties
1
Earliest on file
1902 first met 1893
Longest streak
9 Alabama
Current streak
6 Alabama
Last 10 meetings
Alabama 8–⁠2
Most recent
2025

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1900s3–⁠2–⁠1
1940s1–⁠1
1950s5–⁠5
1960s8–⁠2
1970s8–⁠2
1980s4–⁠6
1990s7–⁠3
2000s3–⁠7
2010s6–⁠4
2020s6–⁠0
Both ranked
24 meetings: Alabama 10, Auburn 14; 8 both in the top 10
Average margin
14.8 points; 35 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Alabama
15–⁠5 Alabama’s record at home
At Auburn
12–⁠8–⁠1 Auburn’s record at home
Neutral sites
28–⁠15 Alabama first
Shutouts
21

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy

Played for since
—
Held by
Alabama

Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games and the rivalry’s article (CC BY-SA). More on the James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy.

Games that tell the story

  1. The Kick Six2013: Auburn 34, Alabama 28Chris Davis returned Alabama’s missed 57-yard field goal 109 yards on the final play; Auburn won 34–⁠28.
  2. Alabama’s biggest win1948: Alabama 55, Auburn 0by 55 points
  3. Auburn’s biggest win1957: Auburn 40, Alabama 0by 40 points
  4. Upset1949: Auburn 14, Alabama 13Auburn had a 19% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset2002: Auburn 17, Alabama 7Auburn had a 23% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  6. Upset1959: Alabama 10, Auburn 0Alabama had a 29% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  7. Ranked showdown2017: Auburn 26, Alabama 14No. 1 Alabama at No. 6 Auburn
  8. Ranked showdown1971: Alabama 31, Auburn 7No. 5 Auburn at No. 3 Alabama

Coach against coach

YearsAlabamaSeriesAuburn
1948–⁠1950Red Drew2–⁠1Earl Brown
1951–⁠1954Red Drew3–⁠1Ralph Jordan
1955–⁠1957Ears Whitworth0–⁠3Ralph Jordan
1958–⁠1975Bear Bryant13–⁠5Ralph Jordan
1976–⁠1980Bear Bryant5–⁠0Doug Barfield
1983–⁠1986Ray Perkins2–⁠2Pat Dye
1987–⁠1989Bill Curry0–⁠3Pat Dye
1990–⁠1992Gene Stallings3–⁠0Pat Dye
1993–⁠1996Gene Stallings2–⁠2Terry Bowden
2003–⁠2006Mike Shula0–⁠4Tommy Tuberville
2009–⁠2012Nick Saban3–⁠1Gene Chizik
2013–⁠2020Nick Saban5–⁠3Gus Malzahn

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Alabama’s side (Drew 2–⁠1 against Brown). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Alabama and Auburn, 1902 on1300150017001900192019401960198020002020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Derrick Henry Alabama46 carries, 271 yards, 1 TD2015 Rushing
Amari Cooper Alabama13 catches, 224 yards, 3 TD2014 Receiving
Sammie Coates Auburn5 catches, 206 yards, 2 TD2014 Receiving

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on).

From the newspapers

  • The The Birmingham age-herald's story of the 1902 game: Men From Tuscaloosa Fail to Make Any Impression on the Tiger LineandLOse by Score of 23 to 0. Allison Makes Star Play of the Game by Seventy-fve Yard Run and Touch Down on a Buck Through Center.

    1902 · The Birmingham age-herald, Alabama, Oct 19, 1902

  • The The Birmingham age-herald's story of the 1905 game: CRIMSON AND WHITE OF ALABAMA FLOATS IN TRIUMPH TODAY Alabama Defeats Auburn 30 to Before 4900 People, the largest Crowd That Ever Witnessed Game of Foot ball in Birmingham Alabama Outclassed Auburn in Every Point of Game

    1905 · The Birmingham age-herald, Nov 19, 1905

  • The The Montgomery advertiser's story of the 1906 game: ALABAMA IS THE WINNER University Defeats Au- burn 10 to 0. BURKS THE SHINING STAR Great Halfback a Strong Factor in Victory. 4. F. '. Eleven Put up Game Fight, But Proved too Light for Heavier Opponents on siip- perx Field. BY WILL T. STEPHAN.

    1906 · The Montgomery advertiser, Alabama, Nov 18, 1906

  • The The semi-weekly messenger's story of the 1907 game: PRINCETON LOSES TO YALE cRAzED BY FINANCIAL LOSSES Defeated By Score of II to 10 In Football Game Game Wimessed by $4,000 People-A and A. College Beats Davidson to 0-Ctter Games.

    1907 · The semi-weekly messenger, Wilmington, N.C., Nov 19, 1907

  • The The Daily Alaska empire's story of the 1948 game: F()DTBAL.L. ROUNDUP

    1948 · The Daily Alaska empire, Alaska, Dec 6, 1948

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.

On television

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from this game eight times: 2020, 2017, 2014, 2013, 2011, 1996, 1995, 1994.

2025ABC11.3 million viewers

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of its locations (CC BY-SA). Viewers: Nielsen, as compiled by nschultz7’s ratings tracker.

Photos

  • Alabama vs. Auburn
    Photo: South2lt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Scene of the first Iron Bowl ever.
    Scene of the first Iron Bowl ever.Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • A kicking in the first Iron Bowl at Birmingham.
    A kicking in the first Iron Bowl at Birmingham.Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Alabama fans that saw the 12th. Iron Bowl.
    Alabama fans that saw the 12th. Iron Bowl.Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • At the Iron Bowl, tailgating and having fun!! Biggest AL game ever!!
    At the Iron Bowl, tailgating and having fun!! Biggest AL game ever!!Photo: Terri Sewell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2017 game
  • At the Iron Bowl, tailgating and having fun!! Biggest AL game ever!!
    At the Iron Bowl, tailgating and having fun!! Biggest AL game ever!!Photo: Terri Sewell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 2017 game

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).

Every game

Nov 28, 2026Auburn at Alabama upcomingat Alabama
Nov 29, 202510Alabama 27, Auburn 20at Auburn
Nov 30, 202413Alabama 28, Auburn 14at Alabama
Nov 25, 20238Alabama 27, Auburn 24at Auburn
Nov 26, 20228Alabama 49, Auburn 27at Alabama
Nov 27, 20213Alabama 24, Auburn 22at Auburn
Nov 28, 20201Alabama 42, 22Auburn 13at Alabama
Nov 30, 201916Auburn 48, 5Alabama 45at Auburn
Nov 24, 20181Alabama 52, Auburn 21at Alabama
Nov 25, 20176Auburn 26, 1Alabama 14at Auburn
Nov 26, 20161Alabama 30, 16Auburn 12at Alabama
Nov 28, 20152Alabama 29, Auburn 13at Auburn
Nov 29, 20142Alabama 55, 15Auburn 44at Alabama
Nov 30, 20134Auburn 34, 1Alabama 28at Auburn
Nov 24, 20122Alabama 49, Auburn 0at Alabama
Nov 26, 20112Alabama 42, Auburn 14at Auburn
Nov 26, 20102Auburn 28, 9Alabama 27at Alabama
Nov 27, 20092Alabama 26, Auburn 21at Auburn
Nov 29, 20081Alabama 36, Auburn 0at Alabama
Nov 24, 200725Auburn 17, Alabama 10at Auburn
Nov 18, 200615Auburn 22, Alabama 15at Alabama
Nov 19, 200511Auburn 28, 8Alabama 18at Auburn
Nov 20, 20042Auburn 21, Alabama 13at Alabama
Nov 22, 2003Auburn 28, Alabama 23at Auburn
Nov 23, 2002Auburn 17, 9Alabama 7at Alabama
Nov 17, 2001Alabama 31, 17Auburn 7at Auburn
Nov 18, 200018Auburn 9, Alabama 0at Alabama
Nov 20, 19998Alabama 28, Auburn 17at Auburn
Nov 21, 1998Alabama 31, Auburn 17at Alabama
Nov 22, 199713Auburn 18, Alabama 17at Auburn
Nov 23, 199615Alabama 24, Auburn 23at Alabama
Nov 18, 199521Auburn 31, 17Alabama 27at Auburn
Nov 19, 19944Alabama 21, 6Auburn 14at Alabama
Nov 20, 19936Auburn 22, 11Alabama 14at Auburn
Nov 26, 19922Alabama 17, Auburn 0at Alabama
Nov 30, 19918Alabama 13, Auburn 6Neutral site
Dec 1, 1990Alabama 16, 20Auburn 7Neutral site
Dec 2, 198911Auburn 30, 2Alabama 20at Auburn
Nov 25, 19887Auburn 15, 17Alabama 10Neutral site
Nov 27, 19877Auburn 10, 18Alabama 0Neutral site
Nov 29, 198614Auburn 21, 7Alabama 17Neutral site
Nov 30, 1985Alabama 25, 7Auburn 23Neutral site
Dec 1, 1984Alabama 17, 11Auburn 15Neutral site
Dec 3, 19833Auburn 23, 19Alabama 20Neutral site
Nov 27, 1982Auburn 23, Alabama 22Neutral site
Nov 28, 19814Alabama 28, Auburn 17Neutral site
Nov 29, 19809Alabama 34, Auburn 18Neutral site
Dec 1, 19791Alabama 25, 14Auburn 18Neutral site
Dec 2, 19782Alabama 34, Auburn 16Neutral site
Nov 26, 19772Alabama 48, Auburn 21Neutral site
Nov 27, 197618Alabama 38, Auburn 7Neutral site
Nov 29, 19754Alabama 28, Auburn 0Neutral site
Nov 29, 19742Alabama 17, 7Auburn 13Neutral site
Dec 1, 19731Alabama 35, Auburn 0Neutral site
Dec 2, 19729Auburn 17, 2Alabama 16Neutral site
Nov 27, 19713Alabama 31, 5Auburn 7Neutral site
Nov 28, 197011Auburn 33, Alabama 28Neutral site
Nov 29, 196912Auburn 49, Alabama 26Neutral site
Nov 30, 196815Alabama 24, 18Auburn 16Neutral site
Dec 2, 1967Alabama 7, Auburn 3Neutral site
Dec 3, 19663Alabama 31, Auburn 0Neutral site
Nov 27, 19655Alabama 30, Auburn 3Neutral site
Nov 26, 19642Alabama 21, Auburn 14Neutral site
Nov 30, 19639Auburn 10, 6Alabama 8Neutral site
Dec 1, 19625Alabama 38, Auburn 0Neutral site
Dec 2, 19614Alabama 34, Auburn 0Neutral site
Nov 26, 196017Alabama 3, 8Auburn 0Neutral site
Nov 28, 195919Alabama 10, 11Auburn 0Neutral site
Nov 29, 19582Auburn 14, Alabama 8Neutral site
Nov 30, 19571Auburn 40, Alabama 0Neutral site
Dec 1, 1956Auburn 34, Alabama 7Neutral site
Nov 26, 195517Auburn 26, Alabama 0Neutral site
Nov 27, 195415Auburn 28, Alabama 0Neutral site
Nov 28, 1953Alabama 10, 16Auburn 7Neutral site
Nov 29, 19528Alabama 21, Auburn 0Neutral site
Dec 2, 1951Alabama 25, Auburn 7Neutral site
Dec 2, 1950Alabama 34, Auburn 0Neutral site
Dec 3, 1949Auburn 14, Alabama 13Neutral site
Dec 4, 1948Alabama 55, Auburn 0Neutral site
Nov 16, 1907Auburn 6, Alabama 6at Auburn
Nov 17, 1906Alabama 10, Auburn 0at Alabama
Nov 18, 1905Alabama 30, Auburn 0at Alabama
Nov 12, 1904Auburn 29, Alabama 5at Auburn
Oct 23, 1903Alabama 18, Auburn 6at Alabama
Oct 18, 1902Auburn 23, Alabama 0at Auburn

Every game is listed as played on the field.