The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or Bama) in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team is currently coached by Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide is among the most storied and decorated football programs in NCAA history. Since beginning play in 1892, the program claims 17 national championships, including 12 wire-service (AP or Coaches) national titles in the poll-era, and five other titles before the poll-era. From 1958 to 1982, the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, who won six national championships with the program. Despite numerous national and conference championships, it was not until 2009 that an Alabama player received a Heisman Trophy, when running back Mark Ingram became the university’s first winner. In 2015, Derrick Henry became the university’s second Heisman winner.
Alabama has 915 official victories[a][b] in NCAA Division I (an additional 21 victories were vacated and eight victories and one tie were forfeited), has won 31 conference championships (4 Southern Conference and 27 SEC championships) and has made an NCAA-record 69 postseason bowl appearances. Other NCAA records include 23 winning streaks of ten games or more and 19 seasons with a 10–0 start. The program has 34 seasons with ten wins or more (plus one vacated), and has bowl victories, both NCAA records. Alabama has completed ten undefeated seasons, nine of which were perfect seasons. The Crimson Tide leads the SEC West Division with 14 division titles and 12 appearances in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama holds a winning record against every current and former SEC school. The Associated Press (AP) ranks Alabama 4th in all-time final AP Poll appearances, with 53 through the 2015 season.
Alabama plays its home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium, located on the campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. With a capacity of 101,821, Bryant-Denny is the 8th largest non-racing stadium in the world and the seventh largest stadium in the United States.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are the bluest of the blue bloods of college football. They rank first in national championships won and first in number of bowl appearances and bowl wins, and they’ve won more SEC championships than any other program by a more than two-to-one margin. The program can also lay claim to two of the best coaches in the history of the game in Paul W. “Bear” Bryant and Nick Saban. Since Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007, Alabama has had an unparalleled level of success with five national championships in a 10-year period and seven national championship game appearances.