The legal scandal that nearly ended a legendary football rivalry
In short: In 1963, a magazine report accused two coaching legends of fixing a game. The resulting lawsuit did not just shake the SEC; it reached the Supreme Court and ultimately contributed to the demise of a major American publication, as the publisher was ordered to pay millions in damages.
The Alabama–Georgia rivalry, which began in 1895, was once an annual fixture, with the two schools playing every season from 1944 to 1965. However, the mid-century era was marred by a significant scandal. The Saturday Evening Post claimed in 1963 that Wally Butts, Georgia's athletic director, and Alabama's coach Paul "Bear" Bryant plotted to manipulate the 1962 contest, a 35–0 victory for Alabama. The rivalry's early years saw Georgia dominate, winning the inaugural 1895 meeting 30–6 and another clash in 1901. During the mid-century period, the series even featured the first-ever televised college football game, which Alabama won 21–6 in 1960.
The fallout was immense. While both Bryant and Butts denied the allegations, Butts resigned as athletic director. The dispute led to the landmark Supreme Court case Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts in 1967. The Court ruled in favor of Butts, and the subsequent $3 million in damages is credited with leading to the end of The Saturday Evening Post. The legal battle over the libelous claims had massive financial consequences, as the publisher was eventually ordered to pay over $3 million. This period of instability contributed to the teams moving away from their regular annual schedule.
The scandal also fractured the scheduling of the rivalry. Following the controversy, the schools ended their annual series after 1965. Since 2010, their encounters have varied significantly because of changes in scheduling and conference growth, despite recent high-pressure clashes such as two College Football Playoff titles and five SEC finals. In the modern era, the intensity has returned, with ten of the thirteen matchups between AP Top 10 teams occurring since 2008. Recent years have seen incredible statistical anomalies, including Alabama winning a 2018 playoff title despite never holding a lead during the game.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Alabama–Georgia football rivalry
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