Alabama Crimson Tide football
The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or Bama) in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team is currently led by Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide is among the most storied and decorated football programs in NCAA history. Since beginning play in 1892, the program claims 18 national championships, including 13 wire-service (AP or Coaches') national titles in the poll-era, and five other titles before the poll-era. From 1958 to 1982, the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, who won six national titles with the program. Alabama then had a dominant run under head coach Nick Saban between 2007 and 2023, resulting in six further national titles.
| Alabama Crimson Tide football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| First season | 1892 | ||
| Athletic director | Greg Byrne | ||
| Head coach | Kalen DeBoer 1st season, | ||
| Stadium | Bryant–Denny Stadium (capacity: 100,077) | ||
| Year built | 1929 | ||
| Field surface | Natural grass | ||
| Location | Tuscaloosa, Alabama | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
| Conference | Southeastern Conference | ||
| Division | Western | ||
| Past conferences | Southern Conference (1921–1932) | ||
| All-time record | 965–337–43 (.733) | ||
| Bowl record | 46–28–3 (.617) | ||
| Playoff appearances | 8 | ||
| Playoff record | 9–5 | ||
| Claimed national titles | 18 (1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020) | ||
| Unclaimed national titles | 5 (1945, 1966, 1975, 1977, 2016) | ||
| National finalist | 6 | ||
| Conference titles | 34 (SEC: 30, SoCon: 4) | ||
| Division titles | 18 | ||
| Rivalries | Auburn (rivalry) Clemson (rivalry) Florida (rivalry) Georgia (rivalry) LSU (rivalry) Mississippi State (rivalry) Ole Miss (rivalry) Penn State (rivalry) Tennessee (rivalry) | ||
| Heisman winners | Mark Ingram – 2009 Derrick Henry – 2015 DeVonta Smith – 2020 Bryce Young – 2021 | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 86 | ||
| Current uniform | |||
| Colors | Crimson and white | ||
| Fight song | Yea Alabama | ||
| Mascot | Big Al | ||
| Marching band | Million Dollar Band | ||
| Outfitter | Nike | ||
| Website | Rolltide.com | ||
It was not until 2009 that an Alabama player received a Heisman Trophy, when running back Mark Ingram II became the university's first winner. In 2015, Derrick Henry became the university's second Heisman winner. The Crimson Tide won back to back Heisman trophies in 2020 and 2021, with DeVonta Smith and Bryce Young.
Alabama has 965 official victories in NCAA Division I (an additional 21 victories were vacated, and eight victories and one tie were forfeited). Alabama has won 34 conference championships (4 Southern Conference and 30 SEC championships), and has made an NCAA-record 77 postseason bowl appearances. The program has 36 seasons with ten wins or more (plus one vacated) and has 46[b] bowl victories, both NCAA records. The Crimson Tide lead the SEC West Division with 18 division titles and 15 appearances in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama holds a winning record against every current and former SEC school. The Associated Press (AP) ranks Alabama fourth in all-time final AP Poll appearances, with 59 through the 2021 season.
Alabama plays its home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium, located on the campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. With a capacity of 100,077, Bryant–Denny is the 10th largest non-racing stadium in the world and the eighth largest stadium in the United States.