Alabama and Jacksonville State could both bring home national titles
By Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com
Jacksonville, AL
College football fans in the state of Alabama have the chance to experience history as the season comes to a close.
The Alabama Crimson Tide plays Clemson in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Jan. 11.
But, before that, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks can bring home a national championship when they play in the FCS season finale on Jan. 9 against North Dakota State.
How rare is it for two teams from the same state to be vying for national college football championships?
It's extremely rare, but in Alabama it has happened before.
The state of Alabama has had numerous national championship-winning teams--including the Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers, but also teams from North Alabama, JSU and Troy--and in the 1990s, the teams shared a lot of success.
Alabama won the national title in 1992 (beating Miami 34-13 in the Sugar Bowl), while Jacksonville State won the NCAA Division II national championship by defeating Pittsburg State 17-13.
The University of North Alabama won the Division II championship in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
Troy won an NAIA championship in 1968 and NCAA Division II championships in 1984 and 1987, but no other state schools hoisted national trophies in the same seasons.
This year, however, would represent an ever greater level of success.
It would be the first time that two teams from the state of Alabama won both the FBS and FCS championships. (JSU now plays in the FCS division of college football.)
The only time a state has shared FBS and FCS championships was in 1990, when Georgia Tech won the FBS title and Georgia Southern won the FCS crown.