Alabama football is shaking up its future schedules, and there’s plenty for fans to unpack. The Crimson Tide announced a few key changes to their upcoming non-conference slate, starting with a notable swap for the 2026 season: the originally scheduled home game against South Florida has been pushed all the way to 2032. In its place, Alabama will host Chattanooga, an FCS opponent, at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
That’s not the only tweak. Looking ahead to 2027, Alabama has added a non-conference home game against Marshall, continuing a trend of building out home schedules with a mix of competition levels. These moves are part of a broader strategy by athletic director Greg Byrne, who has been intentional about shifting the Tide away from neutral-site openers and toward more quality home-and-home matchups.
In 2026, Alabama’s non-conference opponents will now include Florida State, East Carolina, and Chattanooga, rounding out a schedule that already features a full nine-game SEC slate. That means Bryant-Denny Stadium will host Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas A&M in conference play, while the Tide will hit the road to face Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt.
One key piece of context here is the SEC’s new scheduling policy, which requires teams to play at least one Power Four non-conference opponent each year. Alabama is more than meeting that mark.
Future Schedule Changes 🏈
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) December 2, 2025
🔗: https://t.co/Ux5V9dOedE pic.twitter.com/8TUdrhGrrP
Over the next 10 seasons, the Crimson Tide has at least one Power Four opponent scheduled every year - and in seven of those seasons, they’ve lined up two. That’s a significant commitment to strength of schedule and a nod to the evolving landscape of the College Football Playoff, where quality wins and resume-building matchups are more important than ever.
Alabama’s recent scheduling history backs up this approach. The Tide have already completed home-and-home series with Texas and Wisconsin and are in the middle of another with Florida State.
They’re 3-2 in those matchups, or 5-2 if you factor in games against South Florida. And there’s more on the horizon - marquee series with Ohio State and Notre Dame are still on the docket, giving Alabama fans plenty to look forward to in the coming years.
It’s all part of a bigger picture: Alabama isn’t just trying to win games - they’re trying to win the right games. With the College Football Playoff format still evolving, every scheduling decision carries weight. Byrne and the Alabama administration are clearly playing the long game, building a slate that tests the team, excites the fanbase, and positions the program for postseason success.