KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The South’s most famous victory ritual began with a trainer’s promise about what he would do without clothes on. Before your mind wanders into a steamy romantic novel, this origin story centers on what today’s generation of college football fans would call a desperation crash-out moment.

In 1961, Alabama trainer Jim Goostree, a Tennessee graduate, told the team he would dance naked in the locker room if they ended a six-year winless run against the Vols. Alabama won. Goostree paid up with a cigar in hand, and the players decided they wanted one too. According to the legend of the cigar, Jim Goostree couldn’t take it anymore. Losing to his alma mater over and over again was living in his head rent-free. 

During the 1961 season, Alabama was a program that had slid into mediocrity. The Alabama head football coach at the time was in his fourth season. Paul Bear Bryant was in the process of building the Tide on a punishing defense, relentless conditioning and discipline. The defense, was anchored by linebacker Lee Roy Jordan, and allowed only 25 points all season. Quarterback Pat Trammell, led an offense that never needed to be flashy. It didn’t have to be. However, desperation was starting to sink in among the Tide faithful. His first three Alabama teams had produced no championships and no All-Americans. 

As the story goes, that one bribe may have turned the Tide. Alabama went 11-0, beat Tennessee 34-3 to end a six-year winless streak in the rivalry, and finished with a 10-3 Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas. The season earned Bryant’s first national championship at Alabama, the start of a dynasty. It was the first of 6 for Alabama under Bryant’s leadership and under the smoke filled locker room on every Third Saturday in October. By legend, a cigar tradition was birthed. 

Nobody can say for certain that is how it happened. Alabama stories also credits Coach Paul Bear Bryant with passing out the first cigars after a 34-3 win. Some stories say Goostree was handing them out to teams in the 1950s. What is certain is how long it stayed a secret. 

Tennessee eventually started its own celebrations, and both teams kept quiet because of the NCAA rules. Fans caught on anyway. In 2005, Alabama stopped pretending and self-reported the minor violation.

Then the smoke stopped drifting north. Alabama won 15 straight from 2007 to 2021, the longest streak in the series. In 2022, Tennessee won 52-49 on a last-second field goal and broke through, and the cigars came out. Smoke was seen over the entire Knoxville skyline. 

A cloud of cigar smoke wafts over a winning Neyland pic.twitter.com/yVJAKXeabS

— Jake Thompson (@Jthomp72) October 15, 2022

Former Tennessee running back Jabari Davis even has a non-profit organization that runs off the back of the cigar tradition. Inspired by his own experience in this SEC rivalry, The Legends of Tennessee provides cigars from its home base in Maryville, Tennessee. 

Tight Ends Coach Alec Abeln explained how the intensity of this rivalry translates to the younger players who have yet to experience it

 Abeln told me:

“If you can’t get up for this one, you’re probably in the wrong building.”

Roughly 47% – 53 players on the Vols roster are newcomers (true freshmen and incoming transfers). A large portion of the team has never experienced an on-field snap against Alabama in this rivalry. TE coach Alec Abeln told me today what this game means inside the building. Abeln:… pic.twitter.com/wvx7aM7Qmy

— Ellie (@Ellie_Mai_) October 13, 2026

The 109th Meeting 

Now, after trading runs at passing the smoke around, No. 6 Alabama visits No. 14 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium. It is the 109th meeting between the schools, and Neyland is sold out for the 32nd consecutive game. Both teams are 5-1, and their one loss each reads like a mirror image. Alabama fell 20-17 to No. 2 Georgia, and the postgame argument was over a pass-interference flag that was not thrown. Tennessee lost 20-17 to Texas, its only ranked opponent so far.

From there, the two teams could not be more different. Tennessee ranks 15th nationally in rushing offense but 111th in passing, and running back DeSean Bishop has 678 yards and eight touchdowns. The Vols’ defense gives up 15.5 points a game. Alabama scores 44.2 a game and is coached by Kalen DeBoer, a friend for more than 20 years.

The stakes reach past October. This is a game that could decide which team keeps a College Football Playoff chance, with Alabama needing the win to stay in the top 10. Tennessee has won the last two home meetings in the series. Alabama leads the series 61-40 with 7 ties. 

Coach Heupel was reserved on Monday to just call it another opportunity: 

“The Third Saturday in October is coming up, and it’s a great opportunity, We’re playing a really good football team. You look at how they’re playing three phases of the game and it’s a huge test for us, but it’s one we’re looking forward to.”

The Head Coach in Tuscaloosa said something similar about week 7.

“I’ve told the team, you can’t let Georgia beat us twice.”

Two States – Two Ballots

The rivalry’s other mirror is on the Nov. 3 ballot. Both states are replacing term-limited Republican governors, Alabama’s Kay Ivey and Tennessee’s Bill Lee, and both Republican nominees are sitting U.S. senators.

In Alabama, Tommy Tuberville, the former Auburn coach, won the nomination. He faces Democrat Doug Jones, whom he beat in the 2020 Senate race. Democrats have questioned whether Tuberville meets the state’s seven-year residency rule, which he says is not an issue. Alabama has not elected a Democratic governor since 1998.

In Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn won the GOP nomination and faces Democrat Jerri Green, a Memphis city councilmember. It is the first all-woman partisan gubernatorial field in state history, and a Blackburn win would make her the state’s first elected woman governor.

Both states are one Saturday and one election from a new chapter. Only one sideline gets to light a cigar.

All the media questions and all the stats provided to reporters throughout the week amount to nothing. I didn’t even look at what was in my inbox.  The only narrative this week: Smoke ‘em if you got em’.