North Alabama–West Alabama football rivalry
Sport | Football |
---|---|
First meeting | 1949 West Alabama 14, North Alabama 13 |
Latest meeting | September 23, 2017 West Alabama 38, North Alabama 17 |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 71 |
All-time series | North Alabama leads 52–18–1 |
Largest victory | North Alabama, 62 (2005) |
Longest win streak | North Alabama, 14 (1988–2001) |
Current win streak | West Alabama, 1 (2017–present) |
![North Alabama–West Alabama football rivalry is located in Alabama](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/USA_Alabama_location_map.svg/295px-USA_Alabama_location_map.svg.png)
![North Alabama](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Purple_pog.svg/7px-Purple_pog.svg.png)
![West Alabama](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/7px-Red_pog.svg.png)
The North Alabama–West Alabama football rivalry is a college football rivalry game between two public universities in the U.S. state of Alabama, the University of North Alabama Lions and the University of West Alabama Tigers. The current winner is West Alabama, who won 38–17, on September 23, 2017.[1] North Alabama leads the all-time series, 52–18–1.[2][3][4]
The 71 previous meetings mark the most games each team has played against another school and the 52 wins for North Alabama are also its most against an opposing institution.
History
North Alabama and West Alabama first met in 1949 and played every year up to and including 2017. West Alabama was the only program that North Alabama had faced every season since the Lions restored their football program in 1949, after a 21-year-long hiatus since 1928, and until the rivalry was put on hiatus after the 2017 season.
Gulf South Conference: 1970–2017
North Alabama and West Alabama have been in the same conference since 1970, and were both founding members of the Mid-South Conference in 1970 and their current conference, Gulf South Conference a year later. The Lions and Tigers have played ever since 1970 for 49 match-ups. In fact, the Lions and Tigers even played twice in the regular season in 1986. In 2011, the Lions and Tigers met in the regular season and post-season.
West Alabama upset North Alabama in both 2002 and 2004 in Livingston, and in 2009 in four overtimes in Florence when the Lions were ranked No. 1 in the nation. That was West Alabama's first win in Florence since 1987. The Tigers were led in that game by former North Alabama head coach Bobby Wallace.
Bobby Wallace has coached at both schools, coaching at North Alabama from 1988 to 1997, West Alabama from 2006 to 2010 and returning to the Lions from 2012 to 2016.[2][5]
The 2017 season was the last for the rivalry for the foreseeable future, following UNA's announcement that it would upgrade its athletic program to NCAA Division I, joining the ASUN Conference for non-football sports in 2018 and eventually the Big South Conference in football.[6][7]
Game results
North Alabama victories | West Alabama victories | Tie games |
|
See also
References
- ^ "UNA cruises past UWA 45–7 in Tigers home opener". AL.com. September 25, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ a b "LIONS AND TIGERS MEET FOR 70TH TIME SATURDAY". North Alabama University. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ "Football Game Preview – UWA vs UNA". University of West Alabama. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ "Rivalry game between UNA and UWA brings award-winning quarterback back as coach". AL.com. November 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ "A Lot Riding on This One". University of West Alabama. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ "UNA Accepts ASUN Division I Invitation" (Press release). North Alabama Lions. December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
- ^ "North Alabama To Join Big South Football in 2019" (Press release). Big South Conference. December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
- v
- t
- e
- Braly Municipal Stadium (1949–present)
- Bank Independent Stadium (set to open in 2026)
- West Alabama
- Leo III
- "Go! Fight! U-N-A"
- Marching Pride of North Alabama
- Head coaches
- NFL draftees
- 1912
- 1913
- 1914
- 1915
- 1916
- 1917
- 1918
- 1919
- 1920
- 1921
- 1922
- 1923
- 1924
- 1925
- 1926
- 1927
- 1928–1948
- 1949
- 1950
- 1951
- 1952
- 1953
- 1954
- 1955
- 1956
- 1957
- 1958
- 1959
- 1960
- 1961
- 1962
- 1963
- 1964
- 1965
- 1966
- 1967
- 1968
- 1969
- 1970
- 1971
- 1972
- 1973
- 1974
- 1975
- 1976
- 1977
- 1978
- 1979
- 1980
- 1981
- 1982
- 1983
- 1984
- 1985
- 1986
- 1987
- 1988
- 1989
- 1990
- 1991
- 1992
- 1993
- 1994
- 1995
- 1996
- 1997
- 1998
- 1999
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024