BamaPedia™ - The Bama Encyclopedia

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University of Alabama Crimson Tide (Bama):
The University of Alabama (also known as Alabama, UA, or colloquially as 'Bama) is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1831, UA is the flagship university of the University of Alabama System. Within Alabama, it is often called "the Capstone". UA is the senior and the largest in terms of enrollment of the state's major research universities, the others being rival Auburn University and fellow UA System institutions the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAHuntsville) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

The University of Alabama offers programs of study in 12 academic divisions leading to bachelor's, master's, Education Specialist, and doctoral degrees. The only publicly-supported law school in Alabama is at UA. Other academic programs unavailable elsewhere in Alabama include doctoral programs in anthropology, library and information studies, metallurgical engineering, music, Romance languages, and social work.

As of fall 2009, Alabama has an enrollment of close to 29,000 students. Its president is Dr. Robert Witt. Under his leadership, the University has experienced significant growth, despite lower admission acceptance rates, and higher academic standards. The UA Honors Program has grown rapidly as well, with one in five freshmen now enrolled in UAï¿½s Honors College. In fall 2007, these 1,065 scored in the top 2 percent nationally on the ACT.

Alabama Crimson Tide Athletics:
The University of Alabama features 19 varsity sports teams. Both the male and female athletic teams are called the Crimson Tide. They participate in the NCAA's Division I as a member of the Southeastern Conference Western Division. In 2002, Sports Illustrated named Alabama the #26 best collegiate sports program in America. Athletics facilities on the campus include 92,138-seat Bryant-Denny Stadium, named after legendary football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and former University President George Denny, and 15,043-seat Coleman Coliseum.

Main rivalries for the program include those with Auburn University and the University of Tennessee. The rivalry with the Auburn Tigers is especially heated, as the two compete annually in nearly all sports. The annual football meeting, nicknamed the Iron Bowl, is considered among the most intense college football rivalries, as well as one of the top rivalries in all sportsï¿½behind the New York Yankeesï¿½Boston Red Sox baseball rivalry according to Sports Illustrated and ESPN.

Other rivalries include those against Mississippi State University (baseball and basketball)- (Alabama-Mississippi State rivalry), Louisiana State University (football)- (Alabama-LSU rivalry), the University of Mississippi- (Alabamaï¿½Ole Miss rivalry), and the University of Georgia (women's gymnastics).

NCAA Division I Football:
The Alabama Crimson Tide football program is a college football team that represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or 'Bama). The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Crimson Tide is one of the most storied and decorated programs in NCAA history. Since beginning play in 1892, the program has claimed 13 national championships, and is tied with Notre Dame with eight consensus wire (AP or Coaches) national titles. From 1958 to 1982, the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, who won six national championships with the program. Despite multiple national and conference championships, it was not until 2009 that an Alabama player received a Heisman Trophy, when running back Mark Ingram became the university's first winner.

Alabama has amassed the sixth-most victories in Division I with 813 for a sixth-best .712 winning percentage. Alabama has won 26 conference championships (four Southern Conference and 22 SEC championships) and has made an NCAA-record 57 postseason bowl appearances. Other NCAA records include 22 10-game win streaks, and 17 seasons with a 10-0 start. The program is tied with the Oklahoma Sooners with 30 10ï¿½win seasons, and tied with the USC Trojans with 32 bowl victories. The Crimson Tide leads the SEC West Division with seven division titles and seven appearances in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama holds a winning record against every current and former SEC school. The Associated Press (AP) currently ranks Alabama 5th in all-time final AP Poll appearances, with 47.

Alabama currently plays their home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, located on the campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. With a capacity of 92,012 in 2009, Bryant-Denny is the 17th largest stadium in the world and the seventh largest on-campus stadium in the United States. The stadium seating will rise to over 102,000 during 2010 when stadium expansion is completed.

Football Coaching:
The Alabama Crimson Tide football program is a college football team that represents the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The team completes in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The team has had 28 head coaches since organized football began in 1892. Adopting the nickname of the Crimson Tide after the 1907 season, the team has played more than 1,100 games in their 114 seasons. In that time, 12 coaches have led the Crimson Tide in postseason bowl games: Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Harold Drew, Paul "Bear" Bryant, Ray Perkins, Bill Curry, Gene Stallings, Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Shula, Joe Kines, and Nick Saban. Eight of those coaches also won conference championships: Wade, Thomas, Drew, Bryant, Curry, Stallings, DuBose, and Saban. During their tenures, Wade, Thomas, Bryant, Stallings, and Saban all won national championships with the Crimson Tide.

Bryant is the leader in seasons coached, most wins, and winning percentage. During his 25 years with the program, he accumulated a 232 wins for .824 winning percentage. Jennings B. Whitworth has the lowest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game with .067. Mike Price, who was hired in 2003, was fired prior to ever coaching a game.

Of the 27 different head coaches who have led the Crimson Tide, Wade, Thomas, and Bryant have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana. The current head coach is Nick Saban, who was hired in January 2007.

Early History (1892ï¿½1921):
University of Alabama law student William G. Little learned how to play American football while attending prep school in Andover, Massachusetts and began teaching the sport to fellow Alabama students in early 1892. Later in the year, the school formed an official team of 19 players, with Little as captain and E. B. Beaumont as head coach. Among those also on the team were William B. Bankhead, future U.S. Speaker of the House, and Bibb Graves, future governor of Alabama. The team was referred to as the "Cadets", the "Crimson White", or simply as "the varsity".

On November 11, 1882, the team played its first game at a baseball park in Birmingham, Alabama, winning 56ï¿½0 against a team composed of players from local Birmingham-area high schools. The team played only one game during the 1897 and 1898 seasons because of a ban restricting student athletes from traveling away from campus. The team resumed play in 1899 after the ban was lifted due to fan and student outcry. Following the 1907 season, the team adopted the "Crimson Tide" nickname. The school did not field a team in 1918 because of World War I, but resumed play once again in 1919.

Rise to Prominence (1922ï¿½1957):
Shortly after the end of the 1922 season in which he led Alabama in the victory over Penn, head coach Xen C. Scott died of cancer, and Brown University alum Wallace Wade was hired as the new head coach. Intent on building a dynasty after Wade led the team to the Rose Bowl win over Washington, the team's first national championship, and "the game that changed the South." Athletics director George Denny took advantage of the team's newfound popularity and began advertising the University of Alabama in metropolitan New York City newspapers. Students, football players and fans alike from the Northeast began enrolling at Alabama at such a rate that by 1930, over one-third of the student body was from out-of-state. Wade led the Crimson Tide to two more national titles before taking the head coaching position at Duke in 1931.

Frank Thomas, a former quarterback for a Notre Dame squad led by Knute Rockne, was hired to replace Wade. Thomas led the team to continued success and two more national championships before health issues forced him to retire after a 14ï¿½year tenure as head coach of the program, which did not field a team in 1943 because of World War II. Among the players that Thomas coached were Harry Gilmer, Don Hutson, and Paul "Bear" Bryant.

Harold "Red" Drew followed Thomas as head coach and led the team to a 54ï¿½28ï¿½7 record over the next eight seasons, though never winning a national championship. Drew's successor, J.B. "Ears" Whitworth, led the Crimson Tide to its worst three-year stretch in school history, posting a 4ï¿½24ï¿½2 record before being fired following the 1957 season.

Paul "Bear" Bryant Era (1958ï¿½1982):
Paul William "Bear" Bryant came to the Crimson Tide program in December 1957, after leaving his head coaching position at Texas A&M. On December 8, five days after leaving A&M, Bryant was asked why he left for Alabama. Bryant replied, "Mama called, and when Mama calls, then you just have to come running." Bryant entered an Alabama program which had not had a winning record in four seasons. However, in his first season, Bryant led Alabama to a 5ï¿½4ï¿½1 recordï¿½one more win than Alabama had in the previous three seasons. In his fourth season, Bryant led the Crimson Tide to their sixth national championship which included Bryant's first bowl victory with Alabama. Between 1961 to 1966, Alabama went 60-5-1, which included three national championships, four Southeastern Conference Championships, two undefeated seasons, and six bowl berths.

Between 1970ï¿½1979, the Crimson Tide was one of the most dominant teams in college football. During the decade the program won eight conference titles and three national championships. The very first game of the decade was notable, as the team was thoroughly defeated by the USC Trojans in Birmingham 42ï¿½21. The game that is generally credited as the catalyst to end segregation in college football. The following season, John Mitchell, an African-American transfer from Eastern Arizona Junior College, played in the rematch, a game that Alabama won 17ï¿½10 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In that game, Mitchell became the first black player to start for the Tide.

Bryant's final game as head coach of Alabama came in the 1982 Liberty Bowl. Bryant's retirement made the Liberty Bowl one of the most covered games that season as many news stations and newspapers sent reporters to cover the game. Alabama was earned a 21ï¿½15 victory over Illinois.

During his tenure at Alabama, Bryant led Alabama to a 232ï¿½46ï¿½9 record. His achievements included six national championships, 13 Southeastern Conference titles, and 11 bowl victories. In his 25 seasons, he led the Crimson Tide to 24 consecutive bowl appearances. At the time of his retirement, Bryant had recorded an NCAA record 323 wins.

Bryant once said if he retired that he would "probably croak in a week" and said, "I imagine I'd go straight to the graveyard." Four weeks after coaching his final game, Bear Bryant died of a heart attack on January 26, 1983.

Perkins-Curry Era (1983ï¿½1989):
Former New York Giants head coach Ray Perkins replaced Bryant, under whom he played for in the early 1960s. In his first season head coach, Alabama finished the regular season at 7ï¿½4, just as it had done in the previous year. In the Sun Bowl, Alabama upset the #5-ranked SMU Mustangs 28ï¿½7. His second season was far less successful, as Alabama endured their first losing season in 28 years with a 5ï¿½6 record, failing to qualify for a bowl game. In 1985, the team fared much better than the previous season, finishing with a 9ï¿½2ï¿½1 record. Following a dramatic victory over Auburn, the Tide went on to defeat Southern Cal 28ï¿½3 in the Aloha Bowl. The 1986 season, Alabama went 10ï¿½3 as they defeated Notre Dame for the first time in school history, and ended a losing streak versus rival Tennessee. In the season finale in the Sun Bowl, Alabama won 28ï¿½6 over the Washington Huskies. Perkins accumulated a 32ï¿½15ï¿½1 record during his tenure before deciding to leave for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Perkins was succeeded by his former Baltimore Colts teammate and Georgia Tech head coach Bill Curry. Curry led the Tide to three winning seasons, including three straight victories over Joe Paterno and Penn State and a 10ï¿½0 start to the 1989 season. However, tensions within the athletic department and three straight losses against arch-rival Auburn led Curry to resign so that he could go on to become head coach for Kentucky.

Gene Stallings Era (1990ï¿½1996):
Alabama once again sought someone with ties to Bryant by hiring Gene Stallings, who had been recently removed as head coach of the Phoenix Cardinals. Stallings had been a member of the infamous Junction Boys, a group of players who were trained under Bryant during his stay at Texas A&M. In his first season, the Tide lost their first three games, but rebounded to finish off the season with a 7ï¿½5 record. In his first bowl game, Alabama lost to Louisville in a 34ï¿½7 rout. The following season proved to be much more successful as Alabama finished with an 11ï¿½1 record. After a 35ï¿½0 blowout loss to the Florida Gators, the team finished off the regular season with nine consecutive victories, before defeating Colorado 30ï¿½25 in the Blockbuster Bowl.

In just his third season as head coach, Alabama was unbeaten in the regular season, and recorded three shutout victories en route to the inaugural SEC Championship Game. Alabama was able to avoid an upset with a late interception by Antonio Langham, who returned it for a touchdown to secure a 28ï¿½21 victory. With the win, Alabama was invited to the 1993 Sugar Bowl to face the unbeaten Miami Hurricanes, who entered with a 29-game winning streak and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback in Gino Torretta. Despite Miami being favored by 8 points, the Crimson Tide's defense proved to be too much as the Tide routed Miami 34ï¿½13, allowing them to claim their 12th national championshipï¿½the first since the Bryant era.

The Crimson Tide were forced to forfeit eight victories and one tie in games which were participated in by senior cornerback Antonio Langham during the 9ï¿½3ï¿½1 1993 season. It was discovered before Alabama's bowl game that year that Langham had violated NCAA rules by signing with an agent after the previous season. Alabama was in contention for another national title in 1994 before losing the SEC Championship Game to Florida. Though going 8ï¿½3 in 1995, Alabama was not allowed to play in a bowl game, due to a probationary stipulation resulting from the Langham incident. Stallings led the team to a 10ï¿½3 record and a victory over Michigan in the Outback Bowl during the 1996 season before retiring.

DuBose-Franchione-Shula Era (1997ï¿½2006):
Following Gene Stallings's retirement in 1996, defensive coordinator Mike DuBose was promoted to the head coaching position. In his third season, DuBose won the SEC Championship. With the success, Alabama began their 2000 season as high as #3 in some polls. The expectations went unfulfilled as the Tide slumped to a 3ï¿½8 record. Following the season, DuBose was replaced by an up-and-coming coach from TCU, Dennis Franchione.

Franchione led Alabama to two winning seasons in 2001 and 2002, with a combined 17ï¿½8 record. Late in the 2002 season, rumors began to surface about Franchione expressing desire to leave Alabama for other coaching jobs, including Big 12 schools Kansas and Texas A&M. On December 5, 2002, Franchione was formally introduced as the head coach at Texas A&M.

On December 18, 2002, Alabama announced that Washington State head coach Mike Price would be the next coach for the Crimson Tide program. However, in May 2003, Price was removed from his position as the head coach, following a scandal. Less than a week later, Alabama hired Mike Shula, a former Alabama quarterback and then-quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins. Alabama had reportedly been searching mainly for former Alabama players.

With the difficult offseason, the Shula-led Crimson Tide finished 4ï¿½9 in 2003. Bama's 2004 team finished the regular season with a 6ï¿½6 record and made their first bowl appearance in three seasons. It was also the first season the team began playing all their home games exclusively at Bryant-Denny Stadium. In previous years, the Tide had played many of their biggest home games at Legion Field in Birmingham. During the offseason, Alabama once again was able to gain a "full" recruiting class, following a probation by the NCAA which occurred in 2001 resulting from recruiting violations that occurred during Dubose's tenure. In Shula's third season, Alabama rolled to a 10ï¿½2 record, ending with a 13ï¿½10 victory in the 2006 Cotton Bowl. However, the following season, Alabama struggled to find consistency. The team ended with a 6ï¿½7 overall record, losing every road game of the season. Shula was terminated as head coach of the program, having been the only head coach at Alabama to lose four consecutive games to Auburn.

Nick Saban Era (2007ï¿½present):
On January 3, 2007, Nick Saban left the NFL's Miami Dolphins and accepted an offer worth US$32 million guaranteed for eight years to be the next Crimson Tide head coach. In his first season, Saban led the Crimson Tide to a 7ï¿½6 record. A promising 6-2 start gave way to ending the regular season with four straight losses including an upset loss to Louisiana-Monroe. The team rebounded in its final game, defeating Colorado in the Independence Bowl.

Alabama greatly improved in the following season, becoming the first SEC football team in history to post a 12ï¿½0 regular season record (followed by both Florida and Alabama in 2009) and climbing to its first #1 ranking in 16 years, before finishing with back-to-back losses in the SEC Championship Game and the Sugar Bowl.

In 2009, Nick Saban led Alabama to its second consecutive undefeated regular season (12ï¿½0), and added an SEC Championship Game victory over #1 ranked Florida Gators to improve to 13-0. On January 7, 2010, Alabama beat Texas 37ï¿½21 in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, finishing the season 14-0 and winning Alabama its 13th national championship. Saban's record at Alabama is 33ï¿½8.

Championships:

National Championships:
National championships in NCAA FBS college football are debated. Despite not naming an official National Champion, the NCAA provides lists of championships awarded by organizations it recognizes. According to the official NCAA 2009 Division I Football Records Book, "During the last 138 years, there have been more than 30 selectors of national champions using polls, historical research and mathematical rating systems. Beginning in 1936, the Associated Press began the best-known and most widely circulated poll of sportswriters and broadcasters. Before 1936, national champions were determined by historical research and retroactive ratings and polls. The criteria for being included in this historical list of poll selectors is that the poll be national in scope, either through distribution in newspaper, television, radio and/or computer online."

The University of Alabama 2009 Official Football Media Guide states that Alabama had 12 national championships prior to winning the 2010 BCS National Championship. The 2009 title brings the total number of national championships claimed by Alabama to 13. In addition to the championships claimed by the university, the NCAA lists Alabama as receiving a championship for the 1945, 1966, 1975, and 1977 college football seasons. However, those championships are not claimed by Alabama. Eight of Alabama's national championships were awarded by the wire-services (AP and Coaches' Poll) since their inception.

In 1988, then-Alabama Sports Information Director Wayne Atcheson added five national championship teams (1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941) -- recognized prior to the modern era -- to the University's Football Media Guide. According to Atcheson, he made the effort in the context of disputed titles being claimed by other schools, and "to make Alabama football look the best it could look." Though the claim was made in the spirit of competition with other claimants, Atcheson maintains that the titles he included are the school's rightful claims.

National Championship Seasons:

1925 ï¿½ The 1925 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9ï¿½0ï¿½0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Washington in the January 1, 1926 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team initially fell behind the undefeated Huskies, but rallied in the second half to defeat Washington 20ï¿½19. The outstanding player of the game was Johnny Mack Brown. The 1925 Alabama football team finished the season with a 10ï¿½0ï¿½0 record and was selected national champions by the Football Annual and Helms Athletic Foundation.

1926 ï¿½ The 1926 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9ï¿½0ï¿½0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Stanford in the January 1, 1927 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team tied the Indians 7ï¿½7 to finish the season 9ï¿½0ï¿½1. The outstanding player of the game was Fred Pickhard. The 1926 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation, retroactively.

1930 ï¿½ The 1930 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9ï¿½0ï¿½0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Washington State in the January 1, 1931 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team defeated the Cougars 24ï¿½0 to finish the season 10ï¿½0ï¿½0. The outstanding player of the game was John Campbell. The 1930 Alabama football team tied with Notre Dame as national champions in the Davis poll.

1934 ï¿½ The 1934 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Frank Thomas, completed the regular season 9ï¿½0ï¿½0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Stanford in the January 1, 1935 Rose Bowl. Coach Thomas' team defeated the Indians 29ï¿½13 to finish the season 10ï¿½0ï¿½0. The outstanding player of the game was Millard "Dixie" Howell. The 1934 Alabama football team was selected national champions by Dunkel, Williamson and Football Thesaurus. The University of Alabama honored Ben McLeod, Jr., the 95ï¿½yearï¿½old former backup End of the 1934 team at the September 6, 2008 Alabamaï¿½Tulane game.

1941 ï¿½ The 1941 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Frank Thomas, completed the regular season 8ï¿½2ï¿½0. Alabama's squad finished 3rd in the Southeastern Conference after suffering losses to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. Alabama was then invited to play Texas A&M in the January 1, 1942 Cotton Bowl Classic. Coach Thomas' team defeated the Aggies 29ï¿½21 to finish the season 9ï¿½2ï¿½0. The outstanding players of the game were Holt Rast, Don Whitmire, and Jimmy Nelson. The squad was selected national champions by the Houlgate Poll and published in the nationally syndicated Football Thesaurus.

1961 ï¿½ The 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10ï¿½0ï¿½0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Led by quarterback Pat Trammell, linebacker Lee Roy Jordan and twoï¿½way lineman Billy Neighbors, Alabama outscored their opponents 297ï¿½25. Alabama was then invited to play the #9ï¿½ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in the January 1, 1962 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Razorbacks 10ï¿½3 to finish the season 11ï¿½0ï¿½0. The outstanding player of the game was Mike Fracchia. The 1961 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches' Polls.

1964 ï¿½ The 1964 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10ï¿½0ï¿½0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was led by quarterback Joe Namath. Alabama was then invited to play the Texas Longhorns in the January 1, 1965 Orange Bowl. Coach Bryant's team lost to the Longhorns 21ï¿½17 to finish the season 10ï¿½1ï¿½0. The outstanding player of the game was Joe Namath. The 1964 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches' Polls prior to bowl games. Because of the controversy with Alabama being selected over undefeated Arkansas, the AP Poll decided to wait until after the bowl games to select their champion in the 1965 season.

1965 ï¿½ The 1965 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 8ï¿½1ï¿½1, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide lost to Georgia and tied Tennessee during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play Nebraska in the January 1, 1966 Orange Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Cornhuskers 39ï¿½28 to finish the season 9ï¿½1ï¿½1. The outstanding player of the game was Steve Sloan. The 1965 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.
1973 ï¿½ The 1973 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 11ï¿½0ï¿½0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Notre Dame in the December 31, 1973 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team lost to the Fighting Irish 24ï¿½23 to finish the season 11ï¿½1ï¿½0. The 1973 Alabama football team was selected national champions in the final Coaches' Poll prior to the bowl games. Because of the controversy after the bowl loss, the Coaches' Poll began selecting their champion after the bowl games starting in 1974.

1978 ï¿½ The 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10ï¿½1ï¿½0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide defeated #10ï¿½ranked Nebraska 20ï¿½3, and defeated #11ï¿½ranked Missouri 38ï¿½20, and lost to Southern Cal during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play #1ï¿½ranked Penn State in the January 1, 1979 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Nittany Lions 14ï¿½7 to finish the season 11ï¿½1ï¿½0. The outstanding player of the game was linebacker Barry Krauss. The 1978 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.

1979 ï¿½ The 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 11ï¿½0ï¿½0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide defeated #18ï¿½ranked Tennessee 27ï¿½17, and defeated #14ï¿½ranked Auburn University 25ï¿½18 during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play #6ï¿½ranked Arkansas in the January 1, 1980 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Razorbacks 24ï¿½9 to finish the season 12ï¿½0ï¿½0. The outstanding player of the game was running back Major Ogilvie. The 1979 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches' Polls.

1992 ï¿½ The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Gene Stallings, completed the regular season 11ï¿½0ï¿½0. They then defeated #12ï¿½ranked Florida in the inaugural SEC Championship Game, defeating the Gators 28ï¿½21; the win gave Alabama its 20th SEC title and a record of 12ï¿½0ï¿½0. Alabama was then invited to play #1ï¿½ranked Miami, led by Heisman trophy winner Gino Torretta, in the January 1, 1993 Sugar Bowl. Coach Stallings' team defeated the Hurricanes 34ï¿½13 to finish the season 13ï¿½0ï¿½0. The outstanding player of the game was Derrick Lassic. The 1992 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches' Polls.

2009 ï¿½ The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Nick Saban, finished with a 12ï¿½0 regular season. In the 12 wins, the Crimson Tide defeated four teams that were ranked at the time, including an opening day victory over #7 Virginia Tech in Atlanta. The team headed back to the Georgia Dome in December to face off against #1 Florida in the SEC Championship Game. They defeated the Gators 32ï¿½13 in a rematch of the previous year's championship. Alabama then traveled to Pasadena to face #2-ranked Texas in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl. Alabama's Heisman winning running back Mark Ingram rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns in a 37ï¿½21 win. Ingram was named the game's offensive MVP in Alabama's first BCS victory.

Conference Championships:
Alabama has won a total of 26 conference championships, this includes 4 Southern Conference and 22 SEC Championships. Alabama captured its 4 Southern Conference titles in 1924, 1925, 1926, and 1930. Alabama captured the first SEC title in 1933 and has won a total of 22 SEC Championships (1933, 1934, 1937, 1945, 1953, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1989, 1992, 1999, and 2009). The school has won more SEC football titles than any other school, with three coming since the conference split into separate divisions and added a Championship Game. Alabama is the only SEC school to win an SEC Championship in every decade since the conference was founded in 1933.

Men's Basketball:
Alabama's men's basketball program has been overshadowed for most of its history by football. However, in recent years, the men's basketball program has risen in stature nationally, achieving a No. 1 national ranking briefly in 2002. UA has become a regular conference basketball contender much as it was in the '80s under the direction of Coach Wimp Sanderson. Under head coach and former point guard Mark Gottfried, the Tide advanced to postseason play for six consecutive years, culminating with the team's advancement into the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history in 2004, where the team lost to eventual champion Connecticut in the Phoenix Regional Final.

In 2005, the program received a minor setback when the team lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to eventual Sweet Sixteen participant Milwaukee, led by now-Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl.

In the 2006 NCAA Tournament, Alabama beat Marquette and advanced to the second round where they lost to heavily favored #2 seed UCLA. Heading into the 2006 season, the Ronald Steele-led Tide were ranked as high as #5 in preseason polls, but suffered a loss on the road at Notre Dame early in the season.

Men's Baseball:
Alabama also has a winning tradition in baseball. The Crimson Tide is tied with LSU for the most SEC titles with 14 regular season titles. Alabama also leads the conference with 7 SEC Tournament Championships. Tide baseball teams have participated in the NCAA College World Series five times (1950, 1983, 1996, 1997, 1999), finishing second in 1983 and 1997. Home games are played at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

Softball:

In its brief 12 year history, the Alabama Crimson Tide softball team has become one of the elite college softball teams in the United States. The team's current overall record stands at 603ï¿½204 (.750). Alabama has made it to six Women's College World Series and has participated in every NCAA tournament since 1999. Alabama has won the SEC Softball Tournament three times (1998, 2003, 2005).

Gymnastics:
Alabama's women's gymnastics team, compete in Coleman Coliseum. Coached by Sarah Patterson, the team regularly competes for the NCAA National Championship, having won the NCAA team title in 1988, 1991, 1996, and most recently in 2002. The Crimson Tide have appeared in 28 NCAA Regionals winning 23 of them. The Tide have placed in the top six at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics championship 24 of the 28 years the championship has existed. Alabama has also won six SEC Championships including 1988, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2003 and are the reigning conference champions after winning the 2009 SEC Championship.

Women's Basketball:
Alabama's women's basketball team, compete in Foster Auditorium. The team played its first game in 1974 and has been a varsity sport ever since. The team has had eight head coaches, including Rick Moody, who guided the club to the 1994 NCAA Women's Final Four. Wendell Hudson was named head coach on March 15, 2008, replacing Stephany Smith.

Other Sports:
In addition to the six major sports on campus, the University of Alabama has had success in a number of other sports.

Women's Soccer was a varsity sport from 1986 to 1988, and was revived in 1994. Former Head Coach Don Staley had been with the program since 1994, but stepped down at the end of the 2007 season. He was replaced with former Clemson University head coach Todd Bramble. The team has won the SEC West three times and participated in the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship in 1999. In 2005, senior Libby Probst earned third team All America honors and the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award after breaking almost every major offensive record in her career at "The Capstone."

Women's Volleyball is coached by Judy Green and has been at the University since 1974. Although successful in the 2004 season, finishing with a 21-9 overall record and finishing 2nd in the SEC West, the team still failed to win a place in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship. However, The Tide has since made three straight post-season appearances, losing in the first round each time.

Women's Rowing is the most recent addition to Alabama's list of varsity athletics. Mal Moore announced the addition of Alabama's 21st varsity sport in October 2005. The women's rowing team became the newest varsity sport at The University of Alabama in Fall 2006. The team was added due to the NCAA's Title IX and allows for 20 full scholarships. Taking only girls who had previously rowed for the Alabama Crew Club (est. 1987) and other walk-ons, Head Coach Larry Davis built the program from the ground up. In the first year of competition (2006-2007), the Tide defeated the University of Cincinnati, Creighton University, and Murray State University and also won medals at the Head of the Chattahoochee and the Head of the South.

The second year (2007-2008) of competition surprised many as the Varsity 8 went on to win silver medals at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, MA and also the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships in Oakridge, TN. The Tide again medaled at the Chattanooga Head Race and the Head of the South and recorded several match race victories against Southern Methodist University, Creighton, Murray State, Drake University, and the University of North Carolina. The team also landed three boats in the top 10 of their categories at the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia, PA.

Within two years, the team has had 25 athletes earn SEC Academic Honor Roll honors and 16 earn Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete awards. For the 2007-2008 school year, Women's Rowing won the team service award by posting the most number of community service hours (over 1500) out of all women's sports at Alabama.

Additional Varsity Sports at the University include tennis, golf, cross country, swimming and diving, and track and field. The University supports both men's and women's programs in all of these sports. The school has had individual success in all of these sports, including Vladislav Polyakov winning national titles in the 200-meter men's breaststroke in 2005 and 2007, and the men's golf program finishing 6th in the nation in 2007 while being consistently ranked in the top three in the 2007ï¿½2008 season. The University also has two cheerleading squads (The "Crimson Squad" and "White Squad") and a dance team known as the Crimson Cabaret.

Club Sports:
The University of Alabama through University Recreation also fields a number of club sports of varying degrees of competitiveness, though most compete only with other teams from the southeastern part of the country. The club sports include men's rowing (crew), cricket, cycling, disc golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, racquetball, rugby, men's soccer, team handball, table tennis, triathlon, ultimate frisbee, wheelchair basketball, water polo, water skiing, bass fishing, and wrestling.

Athletic Academics:
Alabama consistently fields student-athletes who excel in the classroom as well as on the field. The University of Alabama is tied for fifth in the nation for the number of Academic-All Americans since 2000 from all Universities. Amongst BCS conference schools in this category, Alabama trails only Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Penn State.

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