Alabama vs. Auburn: The history of college football’s deepest rivalry

The South’s most bitter rivalry, the Iron Bowl, returns to the Plains this Saturday for its 88th contest. The game represents more than just two teams fighting for SEC dominance and bragging rights. The impact of the Iron Bowl goes beyond sports. It’s ultimately a showcase of the passion and history of Alabama. Like every good rivalry, this one began as a political dispute in the Legislature over which institution would receive state funding. Auburn became the state’s first land grant university in 1872, largely in part to the University of Alabama’s partial closing during the Civil War. This