In the early 20th Century, Birmingham was the leading industrial city of the South, rivaling Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the production of pig iron, coke, coal and the manufacture of steel.

Both are among the most successful programs in major college football history; Alabama is third[7] in all-time total wins among Division I FBS schools while Auburn is 13th.

The debate lasted over four years, until Lee County and the City of Auburn won the location of the new university in 1872, after donating more than a hundred acres and the remaining buildings and property of the East Alabama Male College.

By 1874, former Confederate and "Redeemer" forces from the Democratic Party gradually overturned the Radicals' control of the Alabama state legislature.

The Democrats then attempted to overturn most legislation passed during the Reconstruction Period, including the founding of the new land-grant college at Auburn.

During the 1870s, Auburn (then named the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama) which received no appropriated funds from the state, was on the edge of financial collapse.

Collapse of Auburn meant that the University of Alabama could assume the remaining land scripts, thus profiting from the closure of the new land-grant college.

In January, Auburn President Isaac Tichenor reported to the board of trustees that Alabama had reduced its tuition and lowered its graduation standards.

In 1940 Duncan had successfully opposed Ayers' candidacy as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, which deeply offended the publisher.

The Alabama report drew a sharp response from then Auburn President Luther Duncan, who said that he had never seen "a bolder, more deliberate, more vicious, or more deceptive document".

He predicted that if the friends of Auburn and Montevallo did not rise up to combat "this evil monster", it would consume them "just like the doctrine of Hitler".

"[15] By 1945, with the end of World War II, the GI Bill had inundated Auburn (then officially named the Alabama Polytechnic Institute), with students—doubling enrollment twice between 1944 and 1948.

[16] Also during 1947, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a resolution encouraging both universities to "make possible the inauguration of a full athletic program between the two schools".

[18] Also, it is believed Alabama refused to travel to Auburn, citing poor roads and the small size of Hare Stadium.

)[18] By the late 1970s, Auburn fans began feeling chagrin at playing all Iron Bowl games at Legion Field.

When Bryant noted that the schools' contract with Legion Field ran through 1988, Dye replied, "Well, we'll play 89 in Auburn."

[21] CBS did not attempt to renew the agreement after 2010 due to criticism from both fan bases, returning the game to its traditional Saturday date.

[22][23] The Foy–ODK Trophy is named after James E. Foy, a former dean of student affairs at both schools, and Omicron Delta Kappa, an honor society on both campuses since the 1920s.

Alabama beat Auburn 55–0 at Legion Field, which remains the largest margin of victory in series history.

[26] In the first Iron Bowl broadcast on national television,[27] quarterback Joe Namath led Alabama to a 21–14 victory over Auburn.

Alabama defeated Auburn 7–3 in rainy conditions at Legion Field behind Ken Stabler's 47-yard "Run in the Mud" for the game's only touchdown in the fourth quarter.

A close game was elevated by the "epic" fourth quarter "with the teams trading haymakers and the lead changing hands four times."

[38] Alabama fullback Ed Scissum fumbled on a screen pass that was meant to give the underdog Crimson Tide a game-sealing first down.

[39] Auburn radio announcer Jim Fyffe is remembered by his dramatic call of the game winning field goal "long enough, high enough, It's good!

With one second remaining and the game tied 28–28, Alabama's freshman kicker Adam Griffith attempted a 57-yard potential game-winning field goal.

1 Alabama defeated unranked Auburn 52–21, led by sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who passed for five touchdowns and ran for one more.

After losing starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to injury a few weeks earlier, sophomore Mac Jones would be asked to step in against the Tigers.

Auburn lined up in a formation with the punter out wide which confused the defense and led to an Alabama penalty for having too many players on the field.

The Tide, led by quarterback Bryce Young, drove 97 yards for a game-tying touchdown to force the first overtime game in Iron Bowl history.

[53] Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Isaiah Bond with 32 seconds left.