Battle for the Bones
The Battle for the Bones is an annual college football game played between the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers and the University of Memphis Tigers. The game is in reference to the trophy that the teams play for -- a 100-pound bronzed rack of ribs which is housed at the university that wins the annual matchup. The 2006 game marked the first time the trophy was up for grabs. Made completely in Alabama, ‘The Bones’ trophy was created by sculptor Heather Spencer, an artist-in-residence at Birmingham’s Sloss Furnaces.
The theme of the trophy comes from the tradition of fine barbecue in both Birmingham, Alabama, and Memphis, Tennessee. The two cities are renowned for their high-quality barbecue, something that has become a part of the culture of the cities. The new rivalry was created by the athletic departments at UAB and Memphis, along with the schools’ student government groups and student support groups, Gang Green and Blue Crew.
The contest is not currently sponsored but is set to take place every year as UAB and Memphis are both members of the East Division of Conference USA. Most recently, the Blazers have won six consecutive games in the series dating back to a 38-14 loss to the Tigers on Oct. 9, 1999. The location for the game will alternate every year between Birmingham's Legion Field and Memphis' Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
The game is also surrounded by a barbecue competition where one school's fans are invited to sign up and have their grilling skills judged against fans from the other school to determine which city has the best barbecue.
The only other college football rivalry within Conference USA play is the Black and Blue Bowl between the Memphis Tigers and the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles.
Results
UAB leads the all-time series at 6-2.
| Year | Winning Team | Losing Team | Site | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 6, 1997 | Memphis | 28 | UAB | 7 | Memphis, TN |
| Oct. 9, 1999 | Memphis | 38 | UAB | 14 | Birmingham, AL |
| Oct. 14, 2000 | UAB | 13 | Memphis | 9 | Birmingham, AL |
| Oct. 27, 2001 | UAB | 17 | Memphis | 14 | Memphis, TN |
| Sept. 28, 2002 | UAB | 31 | Memphis | 17 | Birmingham, AL |
| Oct. 4, 2003 | UAB | 24 | Memphis | 10 | Memphis, TN |
| Sept. 25, 2004 | UAB | 35 | Memphis | 28 | Birmingham, AL |
| Nov. 1, 2005 | UAB | 37 | Memphis | 20 | Memphis, TN |
| Oct. 7, 2006^ | Birmingham, AL | ||||
^Denotes first year of playing for "The Bones" trophy
External links
Battle for the Bones homepage (http://www.battleforthebones.com/)
UAB Athletics (http://uabsports.cstv.com/)
Memphis Athletics (http://gotigersgo.cstv.com/)