Third Saturday in October

The Third Saturday in October is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama and the Volunteers of the University of Tennessee. 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 at such date prior to the 1992 football season, when the Southeastern Conference (SEC) split into its East and West divisions. From 2000 to 2025, it has only been scheduled on that date 13 times. Alabama leads the series 60–40–8. At 40 wins, Tennessee has more victories over Alabama than any other program in college football. Likewise, at 60 wins, Alabama has more victories over Tennessee than any other program in college football.

The first game was played in 1901 in Birmingham, a 6–6 tie. From 1903 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. It has been renewed annually since then. Robert Neyland, namesake of Tennessee's present stadium, had arrived in Knoxville two years earlier and had begun challenging Alabama for the top of the Southern Conference standings, a push that continued when the two schools helped found the SEC in 1932. It was officially given the name Third Saturday in October 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 games against Tennessee were played in Birmingham. The teams did play in Tuscaloosa a few times through 1930. The game was not played in Tuscaloosa from 1930 until 1999. Alabama leads the series in all three venues: for games contested in Birmingham, 21–14–6; in Knoxville, 27–22–1; and in Tuscaloosa, 12–4.

Alabama and Tennessee both have 12 shutouts in the series.

In the 1950s, Jim Goostree, the head athletic trainer for Alabama, began another tradition as he began handing out cigars following a victory over the Volunteers. Both teams continued the tradition for some time, though kept it secret due to NCAA rules concerning extra benefits and tobacco products. Alabama publicly restarted the tradition in 2005, though as a result, self-reported an NCAA violation. Every year since 2007, the winner of the Alabama–Tennessee game knowingly violates the NCAA rule and reports the violation in honor of tradition.

The Alabama–Tennessee rivalry has been known for streaks. In the first major streak of the series, Bama won seven straight over the Vols from 1905 to 1913 (the two teams did not play in 1910 and 1911), outscoring the Vols 112–0 in the process.

Alabama had the longest winning streak of the series, extending 15 games from 2007 to 2021, until October 15, 2022, when Tennessee defeated Alabama 52–49, the first time Tennessee defeated Nick Saban during his tenure at Alabama. An eleven-game Alabama streak (1971–1981) was broken in 1982 when Johnny Majors led the Vols to an upset victory over Bear Bryant and the Tide.