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Alabama

Kalen DeBoer reacts to Auburn blasting 'Dixieland Delight' during dedicated Iron Bowl practice period

Byington mugby: Alex Byington05/26/26_AlexByington

Alabama enters the 2026 season riding a commanding six-game win streak in the always-contentious Iron Bowl rivalry series with Auburn. That includes a perfect 2-0 record for third-year Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer, a feat not even the legendary Nick Saban ever experienced.

In a concerted effort to address that slump, first-year Auburn head coach Alex Golesh dedicated an entire practice period this Spring to preparing for the Iron Bowl, including blasting “Dixieland Delight” throughout the Tigers’ practice facility. Of course, that particular song has been associated with Alabama and is routinely played inside Bryant-Denny Stadium between the third and fourth quarters of all home games.

And while many Crimson Tide fans ridiculed the new Auburn coach for preemptively dedicating an entire period to the rivalry, DeBoer took a much more balanced and understanding approach. In fact, DeBoer suggested preparing for the game this early was warranted, given the importance of the rivalry.

“I think a lot of teams do different things (at practice). I know when we get ready for a team during the week, we play the songs that we’re going to be hearing when we go into those stadiums, it kind of gets the guys in that mindset,” DeBoer told reporters Tuesday, according to AL.com. “It’s an important game, so you have to figure out (how to best prepare for it). Each team has different ways, and each program has different ways of making sure it’s emphasized.”

Alabama maintains a solid 52-37-1 advantage in the all-time series with Auburn, including 10 of the last 12 dating back to 2014. The Tide’s current six-game win streak equals the longest run for one team this century, tying Auburn’s six-game streak between 2002-07. The 2026 Iron Bowl will be in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 28, a game Golesh admits he’s already looking forward to.

“As a competitor in any way, you strive for the competition to be elite,” Golesh said in March. “This is the greatest conference in the entire country. The rivalries you just mentioned are the greatest rivalries in college football. The hair on my arm just stood up thinking about the Iron Bowl.

“I absolutely can’t wait to be a part of, to be back to being a part of, rivalries like that. … If you’re any sort of a competitor, if you’re in this game, that’s what you live for. We’ll be ready to rock.”