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Iron Bowl 2016

Iron Bowl week is here and the Auburn Tigers are coming to Tuscaloosa. My, how time flies! It seems like yesterday we were going through fall camp and wondering who was going to emerge at quarterback, running back and other positions. Now our team is 11-0 and SEC Western Division Champions for the third year in a row. All that is great, but to Alabama coaches, players, and fans, the Auburn game is bigger than all the rest combined.

Auburn comes into the game ranked 13th in the country and features an exceptional defense and kicking game, which has kept them in position to win all their games this year. Their offense has evolved into one of the best in the SEC, and their running game leads the league.

This week we will honor our 22 seniors, as they play their last game in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Our fifth-year players have enjoyed four SEC Western Division titles, three SEC championships, and three national championships over the last five years. Our record during the last five years is 62-7 entering the Auburn game. A special thanks is in order to these players for their leadership, perseverance, and successes in football and academics. Ten of these players have already earned their undergraduate diplomas, and a bunch more are on track to do so this semester.

The Iron Bowl is always played for bragging rights and pride, and pits friends against friends in the greatest rivalry game in college football. As General Douglas MacArthur once said, "On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that, on other days, on other fields, will bear the fruits of victory."

We all need to remember that intense competition is a good thing, but good sportsmanship is every bit as important. This is true both on the field and in the stands. I encourage our fans to make Bryant-Denny Stadium rock Saturday, and to make it inspirational for our players. But, in doing so, let's keep it clean, wholesome, respectful, and a good example for our teams, as well as the young people present.

So Many Reasons to Be Thankful

Iron Bowl week is also Thanksgiving week and serves as a special time to pause and reflect on the many blessings we will enjoy. Mary and I are having all four children and seven grandchildren in for the weekend. We are excited to see them and look forward to spending time with them before and after the game. Our house, like many others, is divided. We have children and grandchildren who pull for Auburn, but we do have them outnumbered! And I think since I came back to Alabama, even the Auburn family members secretly pull for the Tide.

As Alabama fans, we should be thankful for all of the great things going on at our University. Coach Nick Saban and his staff have truly accomplished greatness in our football program. This season still holds hope for bigger and better things as we will play Florida in the SEC Championship Game next week in Atlanta. From there it will be survive and advance.

Our other coaches are also doing an outstanding job of competing for championships and building champions on and off the field. Our University is growing in both size and excellence at every level. The University of Alabama is, indeed, a great place and this is definitely a great time to be here.

I am thankful for the outstanding leadership of our University: Chancellor Ray Hayes, President Dr. Stuart R. Bell, and our outgoing chancellor, Dr. Bob Witt. I am also thankful for the great staff we have that supports our teams at every level. They are too many to name, but they are involved in almost 400 events annually, and we host about half of those. Not many people truly understand the time involved and the sacrifices made by coaches, athletics support staff, and their families. We are all blessed to have them on board.

Finally, I am thankful for the generosity of Alabama's fans and supporters. The business of our athletics enterprise does not enable us to accomplish our Mission the way we all want it to be. Tide Pride and the Crimson Tide Foundation generate revenues that enable us to compete for championships and build champions through endowed scholarships, facility upgrades, and various athletic and academic programs.

So, let's have a great day tomorrow in the Iron Bowl. As CBS broadcasts this game nationally, we will publicly thank Verne Lundquist for his service over the last 17 seasons as the voice of the SEC on CBS. I hope our players play their best game of the year thus far, and our fans have their best day in the stands. I know it will be a great game, as both teams are highly motivated. The Iron Bowl on CBS is the highest stage in collegiate athletics and, from this game, "Legends are Made."

Fulfilling the Mission: O.J. Howard is a Classroom Champion

With our final regular season home game of the 2016 football season, we also come to our final Classroom Champion recognition of the season in Bryant-Denny Stadium. This week's honoree, O.J. Howard, is a fitting finale to an outstanding slate of student-athletes who are excelling in all areas of the collegiate experience and helping us fulfill our Mission. One of 10 players on this year's football team who have already earned their undergraduate degree, O.J. has been a Crimson Tide hero since his freshman year, when he caught a pass on a crossing route and raced 52 yards into the end zone against LSU, scoring a touchdown in his first appearance against one of our biggest rivals. That is certainly far from his only highlight, as anyone who watched us in the 2016 College Football Playoff Championship Game can attest. A native of Prattville, O.J. earned Offensive MVP honors in the national championship game when he caught five passes for a career-high 208 yards, the most in a bowl game by any player in our storied history. While his highlights on the field are impressive, O.J.'s work in the classroom has been just as excellent. A two-time winner of Crimson Tide football's Student-Athlete of the Year honor, I'm also pleased that someone with NFL potential like O.J. knows that his Alabama education is the key to his future dreams and aspirations, both in his immediate and long-term future.

Crimson Tide Foundation Update: Thankful for Your Generosity & Support

Recently, several of our head coaches, joined myself and University of Alabama President Dr. Stuart R. Bell in reflection of the impact that Crimson Tide Foundation supporters have made to Alabama Athletics. We wanted to share our gratitude for the generosity and unwavering support of so many who make our success possible. As a former student-athlete, I know first-hand the difference that participating in collegiate athletics can make in one's life. Playing for Alabama, in particular, provides unparalleled opportunities for personal growth, both academically and athletically. We could not be as successful as we are without the support of our donors and we want to share our thanks and appreciation for everything you do to keep the Tide Rising. Please click this link to watch as some of our coaches and administrators share what your support has meant to us.

Sports Updates

Men's Basketball

Coach Avery Johnson's team split its two contests this week at the Men Who Speak Up Main Event tournament held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The Tide reached the semifinals where they fell to Valparaiso, 68-60, on Monday night. Alabama followed that contest with a 62-57 come-from-behind victory over Saint Louis in the consolation game. The game against Valpo was a back-and-forth contest that featured five ties and six lead changes. Against Saint Louis, we trailed by nine points with just over five minutes remaining, then back-to-back threes by Braxton Key and Nick King cut the deficit to 54-51. After a made free throw and a layup by Saint Louis to extend its lead to 57-51 with 2:51 left, Nick answered with another three as the Tide ended on an 11-0 run over the game's final two-and-a-half minutes. Our defense was the difference down the stretch, forcing six turnovers and holding the Billikens to 1-for-5 shooting over the final five minutes. The Tide will play a pair of games this week, hosting Charleston Southern on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. CT on The SEC Network, then visiting Texas on Friday, Dec. 2, at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

Women's Basketball

Coach Kristy Curry's team moved to 4-0 on the season with a win over Georgia Southern on Tuesday. The win didn't come as easy as the first three victories, as the Tide trailed at halftime. But the team's veteran leaders took control in the second half to seal a 66-48 win. Junior Ashley Williams finished with a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds, while fellow juniors Hannah Cook and Meoshonti Knight combined for 31 points. Through its four games, the Tide ranks third in the SEC in scoring and leads the SEC in rebounding. The Tide has a pair of games upcoming this week, welcoming Alabama A&M on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT and Alcorn State on Thursday, December 1, at 7 p.m. CT. Fans who present their Iron Bowl ticket from Saturday's football game will receive $3 admission to the women's basketball game on Sunday against Alabama A&M.

Cross Country

Two of our men's runners – Antibahs Kosei and Robbie Farnham-Rose – competed in the NCAA Championships on November 19 to wrap up another strong season for our men's and women's teams. Both teams recorded top-four finishes at the NCAA regional meet earlier this month. It was the fourth consecutive top-four placing for the women, while the men posted their best finish since 2010. Congratulations to Coach Waters, his staff and student-athletes!

Swimming and Diving

Coach Dennis Pursley's teams had a spectacular showing at the Georgia Tech Invitational last weekend, winning the men's side of the meet over Florida, giving us our first win over the Gators in more than a decade. Our women finished third, just behind the Gators. Junior Bailey Scott bettered her own school record on the way to winning the 50 freestyle while junior Mia Nonnenberg set a school record in the 1,650 freestyle, bettering the field by more than four seconds. Sophomore Katie Coughlin outraced the field in the 200 backstroke, winning by nearly a second with a career-best time that ranks her second all-time at Alabama. Junior Luke Kaliszak won the 100 backstroke with the fastest time in the nation this season, meeting the automatic NCAA "A" standard, while senior Connor Oslin won the 200 backstroke. Most impressively, our men won four of the five relays at the meet and rank No. 1 in the nation in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays and third in the 200 medley relay. The Tide women won the 200 and 400 medley relays, giving Alabama six of the 10 relay titles up for grabs in Atlanta. All this came against stiff competition, making our showing all the more impressive. Sprinter Zane Waddell's performance, which included times that rank in the top 10 nationally in the 50 and 100 freestyles, earned him SEC Freshman of the Week honors for the second time this season.

Volleyball

Congratulations to the great Krystal Rivers, a senior who was named the SEC Player of the Year and the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year earlier this week! By doing so, Krystal became the first volleyball player in SEC history to win both awards in the same season. She is the Tide's first Player of the Year recipient in volleyball and its second volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, joining former Tide star Erin Price (2003). Krystal also earned first-team All-SEC honors for the fourth consecutive season, joining Erin Heffner (2001-04) as the only four-time honorees in program history. In a win over Ole Miss on Wednesday night, Krystal surpassed Erin Heffner's school career record for kills with 35, moving her career total to 2,118. Freshman Hayley McSparin earned SEC All-Freshmen honors, only the fifth freshman in program history to do so (the third in the last four seasons). The Tide, 19-11 overall and 8-9 in the SEC, concludes the regular season Saturday at LSU in a match slated to begin at 1 p.m. CT. Saturday's regular-season finale at LSU will air live online via SEC Network+ at WatchESPN.com and via the WatchESPN app.

Upcoming Action

Here's a summary of athletic events over the next several days (times listed are for the location of the event: CT is Central Time, ET in Eastern Time, MT is Mountain Time, PT is Pacific Time). Check out our upcoming calendar.

Saturday, November 26

Time	Sport	Event	Location
1 p.m. CT	Volleyball	at LSU	Baton Rouge, La.
2:30 p.m. CT	Football	vs. Auburn	Bryant-Denny Stadium

Sunday, November 27

Time	Sport	Event	Location
2 p.m. CT	Women's Basketball	vs. Alabama A&M	Coleman Coliseum

Tuesday, November 29

Time	Sport	Event	Location
6 p.m. CT	Men's Basketball	vs. Charleston Southern	Coleman Coliseum

Thursday, December 1

Time	Sport	Event	Location
7 p.m. CT	Women's Basketball	vs. Alcorn State	Coleman Coliseum

Friday, December 2

Time	Sport	Event	Location
8:30 p.m. CT	Men's Basketball	at Texas	Austin, Texas

Where to See, Listen and Follow Alabama Sports

Here's how to follow Crimson Tide teams via TV, radio, rolltide.com, Twitter and Facebook:

Men's Basketball

TV: Dec. 1 vs. Texas (ESPNU)
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/alabama/mbball/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlabamaMBB
Twitter: @AlabamaMBB

Catch Alabama Athletics on the SEC Network

Here's a summary of our athletic events to be televised over the next week on The SEC Network and its platforms. Read this schedule closely as some events can be seen via SEC Network +, which is available online via WatchESPN. If you can't make it to our games in person, catch us on radio or TV. (All times listed are Central Time)

Saturday, November 26

Time	Event	Network
12 a.m.	REPLAY: 1985 Football vs. Auburn	SEC Network
6 a.m.	REPLAY: 1985 Football vs. Auburn	SEC Network
1 p.m.	Volleyball at LSU	SEC Network +

Sunday, November 27

Time	Event	Network
2 p.m.	Women's Basketball vs. Alabama A&M	SEC Network +

Monday, November 28

Time	Event	Network
12 p.m.	Alabama Football Weekly Press Conference	SEC Network +

Tuesday, November 29

Time	Event	Network
6 p.m.	Men's Basketball vs. Charleston Southern	SEC Network

Wednesday, November 30

Time	Event	Network
7 p.m.	Football: SEC Inside "Auburn vs. Alabama"	SEC Network

Thursday, December 1

Time	Event	Network
8 a.m.	Football: SEC Inside "Auburn vs. Alabama"	SEC Network
1:30 p.m.	Football: SEC Inside "Auburn vs. Alabama"	SEC Network
7 p.m.	Women's Basketball vs. Alcorn State	SEC Network +

Friday, December 2

Time	Event	Network
12 a.m.	REPLAY: 1989 Football at Auburn	SEC Network
12 p.m.	SEC Inside: Auburn vs. Alabama	SEC Network
8 p.m.	The Process: The Story of the 2015 National Champions	SEC Network

University of Alabama Athletics