Third Saturday in October
| First meeting | November 28, 1901 Tennessee 6, Alabama 6 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | October 15, 2016 Alabama 49, Tennessee 10 |
| Next meeting | October 21, 2017 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 99 |
| All-time series | Alabama leads, 53–38–7 |
| Largest victory | Alabama, 51–0 (1906) |
| Longest win streak | Alabama, 11 (1971–81) |
| Current win streak | Alabama, 10 (2007–present) |
The Third Saturday in October is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the University of Alabama Crimson Tide and the University of Tennessee Volunteers. The respective campuses are located approximately 310 miles (500 km) apart. It is known as the Third Saturday in October because the game was traditionally played on it prior to the 1992 football season, when the Southeastern Conference split into its Eastern and Western divisions. From 1995 to 2015, it has only been scheduled for that date six times, though it was scheduled for that date in 2016 and will be again in 2017. Alabama leads the series 53–38–7 (54–38–8 on the field).
The first game was played in 1901 in Birmingham, a 6–6 tie. From 1902 to 1913, Alabama dominated the series, only losing once, and never allowing a touchdown by the Volunteers.
Beginning in 1928, the rivalry was scheduled on its "traditional" date. Robert Neyland, UT's coach and namesake of the present UT stadium, began challenging Alabama for their perennial spot on top of the conference standings. It was officially given the name Third Saturday in October in 1939. Both Robert Neyland and Bear Bryant made the rivalry heated during their tenure at Tennessee and Alabama.
The Alabama–Tennessee game has been played in three locations: Birmingham, Alabama, Knoxville, Tennessee, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In the first four (1901–1908) meetings, the game was held in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1909 the home and home series began, though most of Alabama's home game against Tennessee were played in Birmingham. The teams did play in Tuscaloosa a few times through1930. The game was not played in Tuscaloosa after 1930 until 1999. Alabama leads the series in all three venues: for games contested in Birmingham, 21–14–6; in Knoxville, 24–20–1; and in Tuscaloosa, 7–4. Alabama won the last game, played on October 15, 2016, 49–10.
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