40Eff3Ca Ecc4 4813 9E28 12B7A31Dd566 E1724703214737 Auburn — “Auburn’s Jordan Hare Stadium at Dusk” by J. Griffin Stewart is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

North Alabama and Auburn have officially scheduled their first ever meeting on the football field.

The Lions will travel to The Plains for a game on Sept. 9, 2028. UNA made the jump to a Division 1 football program in 2018 and has not yet played an SEC opponent.

Keep reading to find out more details on North Alabama’s trip to play the Tigers.

ICYMI: UNA took on the national spotlight during Saturday’s FCS Kickoff in Montgomery

Lions + Tigers

4H4A1198 Auburn — UNA cheerleaders at the FCS Kickoff game. (The Bama Buzz)

Things could change over the next four years but Auburn is currently slated to be the second SEC opponent for North Alabama’s football team, both of them scheduled for 2028. The Lions will also reportedly play Mississippi State in a game set for one week before the Auburn matchup.

“Aligning a future matchup with an in-state SEC opponent has been a scheduling priority for our football program. This will be an incredible experience for our University, fans and alumni. Our coaching staff is closely connected to the Auburn program. We appreciate athletic director John Cohen and head coach Hugh Freeze for the invitation to visit Jordan-Hare Stadium.”
~ Dr. Josh Looney, UNA Athletics Director

North Alabama head coach Brent Dearmon served as an analyst for Auburn in 2013 and 2014. The Lions also have two former Auburn players on staff: Kerryon Johnson and Deshaun Davis.

Currently, Jordan-Hare Stadium would be the largest venue North Alabama has visited in the program’s history with a capacity of 88,043. In 2011, UNA played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which held 80,000 fans at the time.

In-state battle

Bank Independent Stadium Entry Auburn — Rendering of the new Bank Independent stadium at UNA. (North Alabama Athletics)

While this will be the first meeting between the two football programs, each of them are familiar with playing in-state opponents.

The Tigers will open the 2024 season against Alabama A&M and have Jacksonville State scheduled for 2026. Of course, Auburn also has its annual meeting with in-state rival Alabama.

UNA has met nine other in-state programs in its history, holding a 5-8 record all-time.

“This is an enormous deal for UNA football. We’ll take the visitor spot, not only for an SEC game, but for an in-state SEC power. This will fire up our fans and our players. Most of them grew up Auburn fans or dreamed of playing on such a stage.”
~ Brent Dearmon, North Alabama head coach

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