College football rivalries never rest—not in the fall, not in the spring, and certainly not during the dog days of summer. The Alabama Crimson Tide proved that once again on Friday, when the program’s official social media team delivered a playful but pointed jab at one of their oldest rivals: the Tennessee Volunteers.
With the 2025 season just around the corner, Alabama posted a video highlighting the team’s intense summer workouts. At first glance, the post appeared to be a standard preseason hype video designed to fire up the fanbase and showcase the Crimson Tide’s commitment to excellence. But the caption left no doubt that Alabama was also engaging in a little offseason trolling. The post read: “Brick by Brick.”
For long-time SEC fans, that phrase instantly recalls former Tennessee head coach Butch Jones, who famously used “brick by brick” as his motivational slogan during his time in Knoxville from 2013 to 2017. Jones repeatedly referenced the phrase in media appearances and recruiting pitches, claiming he was steadily rebuilding the Tennessee football program “brick by brick.” However, his tenure was marked by inconsistency and underachievement, leading to widespread mockery of the phrase once the Volunteers failed to reach the lofty expectations set during his tenure.
Alabama’s use of the “brick by brick” slogan wasn’t subtle. It was a clear and calculated reference to Tennessee’s struggles under Jones—a reminder from the Crimson Tide that they have continued to stack championship seasons while their rivals in Knoxville have often fallen short. Although Jones is no longer at Tennessee, the phrase has become part of SEC folklore, often resurfacing whenever Vols fans or rivals talk about that era of the program’s history.
The Crimson Tide’s post quickly went viral, with Alabama fans loving the playful dig and Tennessee fans reacting with the mixture of humor and frustration that comes with being on the receiving end of rivalry banter. Some fans took it as lighthearted fun, while others reignited the long-standing debate over which SEC program has dominated the conference over the last decade.
Even though Butch Jones has since moved on—he’s currently the head coach at Arkansas State—the “brick by brick” mantra has lingered as a symbol of unfulfilled promises during his time at Tennessee. Alabama’s decision to resurrect the phrase in the context of their own team’s preparation for the 2025 season was a reminder that in college football, memories are long, and rivalries never truly go away.
For Alabama, the message was clear: while Tennessee once talked about building something brick by brick, the Crimson Tide have been busy building dynasties. As the 2025 season approaches, fans can expect this kind of offseason trash talk to continue, adding fuel to the fire ahead of another intense year of SEC football.
After all, in the South, college football is a 365-day sport—and the rivalry between Alabama and Tennessee is very much alive.