INTRASTATE RIVALRY
Craig Holley, Auburn University VS . Terri Holley, University of Alabama
Craig and Terri HolleyTerri Holley will never forget her first Iron Bowl as a married woman. It was 1989, the first time the notorious matchup between Auburn and Alabama was played outside of Birmingham since the rivalry began in 1893. Surrounded by a sea of orange, she had to endure watching her beloved Alabama team be knocked out of an SEC championship by the Tigers. She and her husband, Craig, had only been married a few months, and his Auburn diploma put the newlyweds on shaky ground. “I remember thinking ‘What have I gotten myself into?'” she laughs. “I told him I would never come to another game in that stadium with him.”
Happily, the young couple endured the controversy and Terri relented on her promise. She even admits to rooting for the War Eagles (when not playing Alabama of course). The teams are also pretty evenly matched, both boasting recent National Championships.
Auburn is only slightly ahead with 12 wins during their 22 years of marriage – a point Craig relishes making. “He even brainwashed our children,” jokes Terri. “He would literally make the girls sit in his lap when they were little, telling them all about Auburn football.”
For years it worked, and Terri would have to watch every Iron Bowl as the sole Alabama fan in her family. But when it came time for their eldest daughter, Ann Elizabeth, to go to college, the tides turned (or Roll Tides as it were). In true Auburn/Alabama fashion, she pulled a last-minute upset. Although she was enrolled in Auburn, she decided at the last minute to go to Alabama. For now, their daughter Sara, a senior at GPS, remains in her dad’s camp. Only time will tell if she will continue the household rivalry. And while the competition is fierce, the couple share a healthy respect for their opposing team.