The SEC’s Third Saturday in October rivalry is bringing back its colorful past.
Alabama and Tennessee will both wear their home uniforms when they meet this season at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville and next year at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, the schools announced Wednesday.
The Third Saturday in October 🔥
For the first time since 1970, Tennessee and Alabama will wear their home unis in the 2026 and 2027 rivalry games. pic.twitter.com/IJelAeGpb8
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 19, 2026
“The Third Saturday in October stands alone in college football, and we are excited to restore one of its most iconic traditions as both teams wear their home jerseys,” Tennessee athletic director Danny White said in the statement.
Alabama and Tennessee have played 108 times dating back to 1901. It’s a rivalry famous for the weekend on which it is usually — but not always — played and also for the winners lighting up victory cigars.
Before 1970, the Crimson Tide and the famously orange Volunteers usually wore their traditional bold-colored jerseys when playing each other.
College football rules now require one team to wear dark colors and the other team to wear white jerseys, but exceptions can be made upon request.
It has long been a tradition that USC (cardinal) and UCLA (blue) both wear home uniforms when they play their annual crosstown rivalry game. Utah (crimson) and BYU (blue) also typically do this for the Holy War.
Here are five more rivalry games that would benefit from a color rush.
Kansas-Missouri. Now that the border rivals are playing again, put the Jayhawks in blue and crimson and the Tigers in black and gold to make it really pop.
Iowa-Iowa State. The Cy-Hawk rivals do this in other sports, with the Hawkeyes in black and gold and the Cyclones in cardinal and gold. Iowa State has fallen in love with black and white alternate jerseys in recent years, but let’s get both teams in their traditional colors.
Oregon-Washington. The Ducks and Huskies tried this a couple of seasons ago, and Oregon went full yellow highlighter against UW’s royal purple. You never know what you’re going to get with the Ducks. We’d like to try this again with Oregon going for a traditional green jersey.
Florida State-Florida. Georgia and Florida tried this in the 2010s, and we’d endorse the Bulldogs and Gators trying it again. Could work just as well with Florida’s blue jerseys and Florida State decked out in garnet.
Kentucky-Louisville. Big blue nation against cardinal red. Let’s make it happen.
— Scott Dochterman, Seth Emerson and Matt Baker contributed to this report.
