North Alabama–West Alabama football rivalry

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 North Alabama–West Alabama Rivalry
North Alabama
West Alabama
SportFootball
First meeting1949
West Alabama 14, North Alabama 13
Latest meetingSeptember 23, 2017
West Alabama 38, North Alabama 17
Statistics
Meetings total71
All-time seriesNorth Alabama leads 52–18–1
Largest victoryNorth Alabama, 62 (2005)
Longest win streakNorth Alabama, 14 (1988–2001)
Current win streakWest Alabama, 1 (2017–present)
North Alabama–West Alabama football rivalry is located in Alabama
North Alabama
North Alabama
West Alabama
West Alabama
Locations in Alabama

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 victoriesWest Alabama victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 1949 Florence West Alabama 14–13
2 1950 Livingston West Alabama 19–0
3 1951 Florence North Alabama 12–9
4 1952 Livingston North Alabama 34–6
5 1953 Florence North Alabama 40–6
6 1954 Livingston North Alabama 32–0
7 1955 Florence North Alabama 52–0
8 1956 Livingston North Alabama 32–6
9 1957 Florence North Alabama 47–7
10 1958 Florence North Alabama 32–14
11 1959 Florence North Alabama 19–0
12 1960 Florence North Alabama 23–6
13 1961 Florence North Alabama 49–0
14 1962 Livingston North Alabama 27–7
15 1963 Florence North Alabama 35–7
16 1964 Livingston Tie6–6
17 1965 Florence North Alabama 42–28
18 1966 Livingston North Alabama 10–0
19 1967 Florence North Alabama 28–7
20 1968 Livingston West Alabama 27–23
21 1969 Florence North Alabama 17–13
22 1970 Livingston North Alabama 21–14
23 1971 Florence West Alabama 31–0
24 1972 Livingston West Alabama 17–6
25 1973 Florence North Alabama 13–12
26 1974 Livingston West Alabama 28–16
27 1975 Florence West Alabama 14–7
28 1976 Livingston West Alabama 27–24
29 1977 Florence North Alabama 42–9
30 1978 Livingston North Alabama 19–7
31 1979 Florence North Alabama 6–0
32 1980 Livingston North Alabama 20–3
33 1981 Florence West Alabama 19–9
34 1982 Livingston West Alabama 14–3
35 1983 Florence North Alabama 15–12
36 1984 Livingston West Alabama 35–28
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
37 1985 Florence North Alabama 17–0
38 1986 Hamilton North Alabama 14–3
39 1986 Livingston North Alabama 21–17
40 1987 Florence West Alabama 12–10
41 1988 Livingston North Alabama 10–7
42 1989 Florence North Alabama 30–0
43 1990 Livingston North Alabama 54–10
44 1991 Florence North Alabama 14–0
45 1992 Livingston North Alabama 20–13
46 1993 Florence North Alabama 65–13
47 1994 Livingston North Alabama 50–7
48 1995 Florence North Alabama 42–10
49 1996 Livingston North Alabama 38–24
50 1997 Florence North Alabama 56–14
51 1998 Florence North Alabama 38–24
52 1999 Livingston North Alabama 51–33
53 2000 Florence North Alabama 21–14
54 2001 Florence North Alabama 30–0
55 2002 Livingston West Alabama 31–24
56 2003 Florence North Alabama 44–10
57 2004 Livingston West Alabama 28–27
58 2005 Florence North Alabama 76–14
59 2006 Livingston North Alabama 45–3
60 2007 Florence North Alabama 49–20
61 2008 Livingston North Alabama 41–9
62 2009 Florence West Alabama 31–28
63 2010 Florence North Alabama 24–23
64 2011 Livingston West Alabama 31–26
65 2011 Livingston North Alabama 43–27
66 2012 Livingston West Alabama 42–27
67 2013 Florence North Alabama 30–27
68 2014 Livingston North Alabama 24–16
69 2015 Florence North Alabama 52–14
70 2016 Livingston North Alabama 45–7
71 2017 Florence West Alabama 38–17
Series: North Alabama leads 52–18–1

See also

References
  1. "UNA cruises past UWA 45-7 in Tigers home opener". AL.com. 25 September 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  2. "LIONS AND TIGERS MEET FOR 70TH TIME SATURDAY". North Alabama University. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  3. "Football Game Preview - UWA vs UNA". University of West Alabama. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  4. "Rivalry game between UNA and UWA brings award-winning quarterback back as coach". AL.com. November 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  5. "A Lot Riding on This One". University of West Alabama. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  6. "UNA Accepts ASUN Division I Invitation" (Press release). North Alabama Lions. December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  7. "North Alabama To Join Big South Football in 2019" (Press release). Big South Conference. December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
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