The Third Saturday in October is one of college football's top rivalries, despite being non-competitive for the majority of Nick Saban's tenure in Tuscaloosa. Alabama won 15 consecutive meetings from 2007-2021, but Tennessee has taken two of the last three, reminding the nation at large that this has always been one of the fiercest, most competitive rivalries in the history of the sport.
The Athletic recently ranked the 100 best rivalries in college football, and the annual matchup between the Crimson Tide and the Vols ranked 11th. It's a ranking that fans of both teams probably feel is too low. In fact, if you ask older Alabama fans, a lot of them would tell you that they consider Tennessee a bigger rival than Auburn. Nick Saban would agree.
Before kickoff, college football rivalries bring families, friends and colleagues closer together. The outcome instantly divides those same people.
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 7, 2025
But which ones rise above the rest in the nation? pic.twitter.com/Y76gDXpzrm
Despite it still being considered one of the top rivalries in the sport, the future of the rivalry as a yearly staple is very much in doubt.
The Third Saturday in October may not be played yearly going forward
Alabama and Tennessee as a yearly matchup moving forward may come down to whether or not the SEC adopts a nine-game conference schedule for 2026 and beyond. As things currently stand, if the league keeps an eight-game schedule moving forward, only one rivalry will be protected for each team in order to form a more balanced schedule and ensure there aren't big gaps between meetings for any two member institutions.
If that's the case, then the Iron Bowl will trump The Third Saturday in October for the Crimson Tide, and it's possible that for the first time in nearly 100 years, the Tide and Vols won't meet on the gridiron in 2026.
Alabama and Tennessee have met on the field every season since 1928. It would be a shame to see that change.
If the SEC adopts a nine-game schedule, then each school would have three protected rivalries, ensuring the yearly meeting between Alabama and Tennessee wouldn't change.
The future of the SEC schedule, and thus the Third Saturday in October, will likely come down to what happens with the College Football Playoff moving forward.
SEC Athletic Directors do not want to make their schedules even tougher without a better guarantee of inclusion in the playoff. The SEC believes, and they are correct, that they generally already play more difficult schedules than their power conference counterparts, and adding a ninth game will open up a potential additional loss, which could keep a team out of the playoff.
Alabama being left out of the playoff last season in favor of teams with much weaker schedules like SMU and Indiana has had major consequences to the future of the playoff, as expected.
Ultimately, the SEC is likely to get what it wants because it holds so many of the cards. If that's the case, then a nine-game schedule should follow, securing the yearly future of the Alabama-Tennessee matchup.