It is called the Iron Bowl because the game was long played in Birmingham, Alabama, a city historically known for its iron and steel industry, and the name honors that industrial heritage and the game’s toughness.

Name origin

• The nickname refers to Birmingham’s past as a major center for iron and steel production, sometimes called the “Pittsburgh of the South,” so “Iron” ties the rivalry to the region’s industrial roots.

• The game was regularly held at Birmingham’s Legion Field for decades, so the idea of a figurative “bowl” game in an iron city led naturally to the term “Iron Bowl.”

Who coined the term

• Auburn coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan is widely credited with using the phrase in the 1960s, reportedly saying that playing Alabama in Birmingham was Auburn’s “bowl game,” and the “Iron Bowl” label stuck.

• Over time, media and fans adopted the nickname, and it became the standard name for the Alabama–Auburn football rivalry, symbolizing both the state’s industrial past and the intensity of the matchup.