Classic SEC Football: The 1989 Iron Bowl Between Auburn and Alabama

Former Alabama head coach Ray Perkins said that "it would never happen." 

After years of discussion, threats of litigation and political wrangling, it finally happened.

On December 2, 1989, the Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama was played at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. for the first time ever.

Pat Dye, head coach of Auburn at the time, famously compared the event to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The absurdity of playing neutral site games at Birmingham's Legion Field—which Alabama used as a home stadium for several games per season at the time—was coming to an end, and Alabama's first visit to the Plains solidified it (even though Auburn agreed to a home game there vs. Alabama in 1991).  It was a day that Auburn fans will never forget, and the outcome of the game had very little to do with it. 

When Auburn got to campus on game day, it became apparent that this was a big deal. Tiger Walk—the team's traditional walk from Sewell Hall to Jordan-Hare—drew an estimated crowd of 20,000 fans, many of whom had tears in their eyes as the Tigers made the trek down Donahue Drive.

On the field, the game was a barn burner.

Alabama entered undefeated and ranked No. 2, while No. 11 Auburn had dropped games to Tennessee and Florida State. Auburn scored a touchdown on its first drive, but went into halftime down 10-7 to the Tide. Whatever head coach Pat Dye said to his Tigers, it worked. Auburn ripped off 20 straight points to take a 27-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, and then held off Alabama for a 30-20 win.  

The win earned Auburn a three-way split of the SEC title with Alabama and Tennessee, but that was secondary to what this game meant to the rivalry. 

The fact that the game was played in Auburn for the first time ever signified that the two programs were on even-footing in the state of Alabama for the first time ever, and it's been that way ever since.

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