Nick Saban weighs in on Third Saturday in October postgame cigar tradition

Nick Saban has become pretty familiar with the cigar tradition in the Alabama–Tennessee rivalry. In 16 career games against the Vols, Saban has seen his locker room full of smoke in 15 of them. Of course, last year’s game was the lone loss, falling to a last-second field goal.

He might not be a smoker himself but Saban is a fan of the cigar tradition. Players, fans, and his coaching staff get to enjoy puffing on them when beating Tennessee. Saban admittingly chews on one for a few minutes to acknowledge winning a big rivalry game.

“I guess it’s fun when you get the opportunity to smoke a cigar,” Saban said during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference. “I don’t smoke. I kind of just chew on one for a little bit.”

The cigar tradition goes back to the 1950s but for the most part, it was kept under wraps. It was considered an NCAA violation and neither Alabama nor Tennessee was attempting to get in any kind of trouble.

However, it’s now visible and quite out there. Whoever winds up on the winning end reports the violation to the NCAA and nothing major is thrown down on the programs.

Nick Saban believes cigar tradition is great bonding experience

There are not too many trophy games in the SEC. Beating your rivals usually brings bragging rights and propels teams toward accomplishing season-long goals. It’s different than what Saban experienced during his time in the Big Ten when he was the head coach at Michigan State for five years.

So, when something like cigars is involved in Alabama taking down Tennessee, Saban views it as a good bonding experience for the players. Everybody wants to smoke them in the locker room and embrace the rivalry.

There are plenty of famous photos that circle around social media whenever the game comes up on the schedule.

“I think games like this that have special inuendos that go with them — it’s probably good for the players,” Saban said. “Relationships with each other to do things like that. I don’t think there’s anything bad about it.”

The images of Tennessee smoking cigars at Neyland Stadium have to be ingrained into Alabama’s mind after last year’s game. When you are able to be on the winning end for 15 consecutive years, watching the Vols celebrate has to be a deflating feeling.

Saban will be hoping to chew on another cigar come Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.