Why Alabama and Tennessee fans celebrate their biggest rivalry by smoking cigars in secret
In short: The Third Saturday in October is more than a college football game; it is a century-old tradition defined by streaks, upsets, and a peculiar post-game ritual. Since the 1950s, winners have celebrated with cigars, a practice so cherished that teams knowingly report NCAA violations to keep the tradition alive.
The rivalry between the University of Alabama Crimson Tide and the University of Tennessee Volunteers began in 1901 with a 6–6 tie in Birmingham. Officially named the Third Saturday in October in 1939, the series has been shaped by legendary coaches like Robert Neyland and Bear Bryant. While Alabama currently leads the series 60–40–8, the intensity of the matchup stems from the deep-seated history of both programs, which helped found the Southeastern Conference in 1932.
The series is famous for its dramatic streaks and shifts in momentum. Alabama once held a 15-game winning streak from 2007 to 2021, a dominant run that finally ended in 2022 when Tennessee secured a 52–49 victory. This game, which saw Tennessee fans tear down the goalposts and throw them into the Tennessee River, marked the first time Tennessee defeated Nick Saban. Historically, Tennessee’s longest winning streak was seven games, spanning from 1995 to 2001, before Alabama broke it in 2002.
Beyond the field, the rivalry is marked by unique cultural quirks. The tradition of smoking cigars after a victory began in the 1950s with Alabama athletic trainer Jim Goostree. Because the practice violated NCAA rules regarding extra benefits, it was kept secret for decades. In 2005, Alabama publicly restarted the tradition and began self-reporting the violation annually. Today, the act of smoking a cigar has become a symbolic, albeit rule-breaking, tribute to the intensity of one of college football’s most storied annual contests.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Third Saturday in October
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