1943 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| • Howard
|
14 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
42 |
| Alabama |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
-
Date: November 6
-
Location: Denny Stadium
Tuscaloosa, AL
-
Game attendance: 7,000
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| • Alabama
|
6 |
6 |
12 |
7 |
31 |
| Marion |
0 |
6 |
0 |
6 |
12 |
-
Date: November 12
-
Location: Perry County H.S. Stadium
Marion, AL
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Marion |
13 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
| • Alabama
|
0 |
12 |
7 |
0 |
19 |
-
Date: November 20
-
Location: Denny Stadium
Tuscaloosa, AL
|
The 1943 Alabama Crimson Tide football team was to represent the University of Alabama in the 1943 college football season; however, the season was canceled due to the effects of World War II. In February 1943, the Army instituted a policy that prohibited their cadets from participation in intercollegiate athletics. Unsure if a season would occur, head coach Frank Thomas proceeded through spring practice as if it would be played. By summer, only two Alabama players were available to compete on the squad as a result of the Army prohibition on its trainees competing in intercollegiate athletics, and on August 23, 1943, the University announced its decision to cancel the 1943 season. The cancellation marked only the third time since the inaugural 1892 season that Alabama did not field a football team.
Although not officially sanctioned by the University, an independent team called the Alabama Informals was organized in October 1943. Coached by former Crimson Tide player Mitchell Olenski, the Informals were composed of 17-year-old and draft deferred students ineligible for military service. The Informals were allowed to play their games at Denny Stadium and utilize the equipment of the Crimson Tide football team. The squad lost to Howard, defeated the Marion Military Institute twice and finished the season with an overall record of two wins and one loss (2–1).
At the conclusion of the season, SEC officials met in an effort to bring a full football schedule back for the 1944 season. By May 1944, all SEC schools, with the exception of Vanderbilt, indicated they would field teams for the 1944 season. Football officially returned on September 30, 1944, when the Crimson Tide played LSU to a tie in their season opener.
In February 1943, the United States Department of War announced they would take over both classroom space and athletic facilities at 271 colleges and universities to be utilized for the training of United States Army soldiers. As part of the Department's order, only students under 18 years of age or those with 4-F draft classifications were permitted to compete in intercollegiate athletics. At the time of the announcement, coach Thomas was quoted as saying:
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