PrideOfTheTide.com

Home
Former Players

Game Programs/
All-Time Games

Bowl Games

Records

Stadia

Coaches

Denny Chimes

College Hall of Fame

Media Guides

Shop Online

E-mail Us
Please change AT to @

University of Alabama
Crimson Tide
Programs
& 
Games

Go to the bottom of the page to see the programs covers

Part of the experience of going to a football game is that of purchasing a game program. The program is a historical marker for that particular game. The earliest accounts of game programs go back to the first game ever played in 1892.       Over the past 100 years programs for the Crimson Tide have changed dramatically. During the 1920's, 30's and up to 1940, programs for Alabama were larger in size than they are today. During this era game programs measured approximately 13" x 11" and featured the photo of a Crimson Tide player on the cover.


1892
From the early 40's to the mid 60's, programs would be smaller in size, approximately 8"X10", and feature "stock" covers drawn by renowned program artist Lon Keller. What is meant by "stock" covers is that the University would have several different covers from which to choose. All they had to do was put the game information on the cover.



     

 

 


1933
        By the mid 60's players would appear on the covers first time since 1940. The size of the programs would once again change to the size that we have today. For the 1968 and 1969 season, the game programs would feature a series of pullout posters of great Alabama legends like Johnny Mack Brown, Don Hutson and Joe Namath. The posters would return 20 years later.


       


1958
 The 1970 season would bring the most radical change to game programs in history. That year and for the next six, the University would introduce weekly newspapers that would be sold on game day called "Crimson Tide Illustrated." These "programs" would be much cheaper to produce and could be changed from week to week since there were printed like newspapers. The size of them would make them very hard to carry around. They were the size of a current Sporting News. These programs today are very hard to find today since most people would throw them away after games.

    

   

1966                                                  1974  

For the 1977 season regular size programs returned to Alabama home games. From that year till the present the covers would either feature current players or members of the coaching staff. Coach Paul W. Bryant would appear on the cover of programs numerous times during the late 70's and till his retirement in 1982. He last appearance on a regular season cover during his tenure at the University of Alabama was the 1982 Auburn game.

    


 

 



1982
  For the 1977 season regular size programs returned to Alabama home games. From that year till the present the covers would either feature current players or members of the coaching staff. Coach Paul W. Bryant would appear on the cover of programs numerous times during the late 70's and till his retirement in 1982. He last appearance on a regular season cover during his tenure at the University of Alabama was the 1982 Auburn game.

We hope you enjoy the program sections and if you have any programs that we do not have listed we would greatly appreciate it you could send us a scan.

  

     

 

 

 








Decade
Games Played
Covers we have
%
1890's
24
2
8%
1900's
75
0
0%
1910's
78
1
1%
1920's
99
31
31%
1930's*
95
83
88%
1940's*
93
93
100%
1950's
108
108
100%
1960's**
110
110
100%
1970's
120
120
100%
1980's
120
120
100%
1990's
123
123
100%
2000's
127
127
  100%
2010
97
93***
 92%

TOTAL
1,269
1,011
80%



The 1929 UGA game has TWO programs.  One printed by Alabama an one printed by UGA*
One game in the 30's and several in the 1940's have TWO or THREE covers. We are only going to count ONE cover for this total
**The 1961 Tennessee game seems to be the last with TWO covers

***THEY DID NOT PRINT A PROGRAM FOR THE 2015 & 2016 WISCONSIN & USC GAMES IN DALLAS

Counting Media Guides, A-Day Programs, Bootleg Rose Bowl Programs and Alternate covers for game programs we have a total of
1,065 Covers
2010 2011 2012  2013 2014 2015  2016 2017 2018 2019

This is a list of the covers that we are missing going back to 1930. If you have a copy of the program, please send us a .JPG scan of it to finish our collection or if you have a different cover for a game that we have please let us know about it.
Thank you very much!
1936 UT, LOY
1935 MSU
1933 OG, UM, VU
1932 MSU
1931 HOW, UK, UF, CHAT
1930 SEW, UF