For the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Rose Bowl is more than just a postseason destination — it is the cornerstone of the program's national identity.
Often called "The Game That Changed the South," Alabama’s first trip to Pasadena in 1926 didn't just earn the Crimson Tide a national championship — it legitimized Southern football on a national stage.
It was after this iconic win that the University of Alabama’s fight song, “Yea, Alabama,” was created, including these iconic lines.
Fight on, fight on, fight on men!
Remember the Rose Bowl, we’ll win then.
In 1925, football in the South was largely dismissed by the powerhouse programs of the Northeast and the West Coast. When Alabama accepted an invitation to the 1926 Rose Bowl to face what some thought was an unbeatable Washington team, many expected a blowout.
Trailing 12–0 at halftime, Coach Wallace Wade’s team staged a furious third-quarter comeback. Led by Johnny Mack Brown, who later became a famous Hollywood Western star, Alabama scored 20 points unanswered in the third quarter to win 20–19. The victory gave Alabama its first national championship and proved that the South could compete with anyone.
Following that 1926 shocker, Alabama became a regular guest in "The Granddaddy of Them All." Throughout the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, the Rose Bowl was the primary stage for Alabama’s championship runs. The Crimson Tide made Rose Bowl appearances in 1927, 1931, 1935, 1938, and 1946, finishing with a 4-1-1 record.
For decades, the Rose Bowl’s partnership with the Big Ten and Pac-12 effectively locked out SEC teams. However, the dawn of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and the College Football Playoff (CFP) brought Alabama back to the hallowed grounds of Pasadena.
In the 2010 BCS National Championship, while technically a national title game and not the "Rose Bowl Game," Alabama defeated Texas 37–21 in the Rose Bowl stadium to secure Nick Saban’s first title in Tuscaloosa.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions in California, the 2021 Rose Bowl game was moved to AT&T Stadium in Texas. Alabama defeated Notre Dame 31–14 en route to another national championship.
The Crimson Tide’s most recent Rose Bowl appearance came in 2024 but ended in a 27-20 loss to Michigan in a thrilling overtime battle in the CFP Semifinals.
Now, 100 years later, after the 1926 victory that started it all, Alabama will return to the San Gabriel Mountains on a journey back to the roots that built this historic program.
On January 1, 2026, the Alabama Crimson Tide will face off against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl in the College Football Quarterfinals.
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