FLORENCE, Ala. (August 31, 2023) – The 75th season of North Alabama Football makes its Braly Stadium debut on Saturday, Sept. 2 as the Lions host border rival Chattanooga. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Florence.
 
Last week, the Lions proved competitive against a nationally-ranked opponent in neutral site action, falling 17-7 to No. 20 Mercer at the FCS Kickoff in Montgomery, Ala. at the Historic Cramton Bowl. The game was nationally televised on ESPN and ESPNU.
 
This week, UNA faces another challenging opponent from the Southern Conference as Chattanooga comes to town. The Mocs are receiving votes in both the FCS Coaches Poll and the Stats Perform FCS Top 25.
 
Below are some things to know for UNA's home opener.
 
1. KICKOFF: The Lions and Mocs will officially kickoff at 6:02 p.m. from Braly Stadium.
 
2. PRESENTING GAME SPONSOR: Saturday's presenting game sponsor is Bojangles. The first 5,000 fans in attendance on Saturday will receive a promotional gift card courtesy of Bojangles.
 
3. PROMOTIONS: UNA will also host over 800 high school band members for the Marching Pride's annual Band Extravaganza at Braly Stadium. In addition to both of these special events, cheer and dance will perform alongside the Marching Pride. Also, fans are encouraged to be on the lookout for various promotions on the videoboard during media timeouts and at halftime.
 
4. TICKETS: Season tickets and single game tickets, as well as other bundle options, are available by calling 256-765-5466 (LION) or by emailing athleticstickets@una.edu. Tickets to the game are available for as low as $20. Fans can also purchase parking passes, prime tailgating areas and game tickets online at this link.
 
5. ACCESS YOUR TICKETS: The UNA Ticket Office put together three videos to help fans download and access their tickets this season. Click the links below to access tickets on your device or call 256-765-5466 for assistance.
 
WEBSITE | ANDRIOD | APPLE
 
6. CASHLESS VENUE: Much like this past basketball season at CB&S Bank Arena, Braly Stadium will be a cashless venue this season. Fans are encouraged to prepare accordingly to make purchases by card.
 
7. BAG POLICY: Fans are encouraged to review the bag policy before arriving to the stadium, as many bag types are prohibited inside Braly Stadium. Approved bags include clear totes, resealable freezer storage bags, small clutch bags, seat cushions with no pockets and small diaper bags with the accompaniment of a child. For more information on which types of bags are approved and which types are prohibited, click here.
 
8. PARKING: Fans are able to purchase parking in Lot D behind Florence Middle School for $12 online at this link. Additional parking is also available at the Royal Avenue Center, the Royal Avenue Tennis Courts and the lot at the corner of East Irvine Avenue and Grady Liles Road.
 
9. SHUTTLE BUS PARKING: UNA will have four parking lots available for fans to park and shuttle to the stadium — three of which are on UNA's campus. The shuttle lots include Jackson Heights Church of Christ, the front of Rice and Rivers Hall, Appleby Hall and the Wendall Gunn Commons parking lot. The shuttles run throughout the day, including before and after the game. For more information, click here.
 
10. TAILGATING: A number of roads surrounding Braly Stadium will be closed in the morning for tailgating, specifically Royal Avenue. Fans are encouraged to plan accordingly. Parking lots open three hours prior to kickoff. Tailgating will take place on Spirit Hill and outside of Braly Stadium. Spirit Hill tailgating spots are sold out for Saturday's game, but fans are encouraged to join in on the festivities around the stadium.
 
11. FOOD TRUCKS: UNA Athletics will partner with a number of food trucks this season for all home football games. For the season opener this Saturday, fans can visit five different vendors along North Royal Avenue, including Field Wings, Itty Bitty Pop, Quench, Smile Beverage and Whole Hog Express. For a food truck map, click here.
 
12. PEP RALLY: UNA will host a pep rally at 3:30 p.m. on Spirit Hill with the North Alabama Marching Pride, the UNA cheer and dance team and mascots Leo and Una. This will take place just before the team arrives via buses for the Lion Walk — which take place two hours and 15 minutes before all home games.
 
13. LION WALK: One of UNA's oldest traditions, the Lion Walk will take place at 3:45 p.m. starting at Spirit Hill and ending when the team enters the stadium through the North End Zone — the side with the videoboard closest to the home locker rooms. Fans are encouraged to cheer on the Lions as they walk toward the stadium.
 
14. GAME PROGRAM: This season, game day programs will be shifting to an electronic format and are free of charge. QR codes will be available to fans throughout the stadium to download the program, which includes rosters, depth charts and more.
 
15. WATCH ON ESPN+: Saturday's game will stream on ESPN+ featuring "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray on play-by-play and Bryan Neece as the color analyst. Fans can tune in at 6 p.m. at this link or on the ESPN app.
 
16. CATCH THE LIONS ON THE RADIO: Fans are encouraged to listen to the UNA Lions Sports Network all season long on WLX Radio — 98.3 FM and 103.5 FM in the Shoals or worldwide on the WLX App or at this link. Play-by-play announcer Seth Cain will be joined by former UNA quarterback Jacob Tucker in the booth. Austin Collette will be on the sidelines.
 
17. RADIO PRE-GAME SHOW: The UNA radio broadcast will begin at 5 p.m. with the "Countdown to Kickoff" featuring all three members of the broadcast team.
 
18. LIVE STATS: Fans who are interested in following live stats can do so via StatBroadcast at this link.
 
19. 75TH SEASON OF UNA FOOTBALL: The 2023 season marks the 75th year of North Alabama Football. UNA has an all-time record of 480-299-16, while boasting 21 NCAA playoff appearances, 17 conference championships and three national championships. This season marks UNA's sixth at the FCS level and just the second as a full-fledged member.
 
20. A NEW ERA, A NEW CONFERENCE: The Lions are one of the charter members of the newly-formed United Athletic Conference (UAC) and are the first UAC team to ever compete in a football game representing the conference. The new league includes Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State and Utah Tech. UTRGV will join in 2025.
 
21. SERIES HISTORY: The Lions are 0-3 all-time against Chattanooga with losses in each of the last two seasons against the Mocs. Chattanooga also won the first matchup way back in 1969. Despite this, the Lions have a winning record against the Southern Conference with an 11-9-2 record in 22 games, including a 6-4-2 record against Samford and a 5-1 record against ETSU.
 
22. ANOTHER FORMIDABLE OPPONENT: For the second straight week, UNA will face a SoCon opponent that was listed in both FCS preseason polls. Mercer was ranked in both the FCS Coaches Poll and the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, while Chattanooga is receiving votes in both polls.
 
23. HOME OPENERS: The Lions own a 51-20-3 all-time record in home openers, including a 3-2 record since moving up to Division I FCS and a 7-3 record over the last 10 seasons. In last year's home opener, UNA defeated UVA Wise by a 49-17 final.
 
24. LIONS AT BRALY STADIUM: UNA's all-time record at Braly Stadium stands at 275-126-8.
 
25. UNA FOOTBALL HOUR ON TUESDAYS: Fans are reminded to head over to 306 Barbecue in downtown Florence every Tuesday during football season for the UNA Football Hour with Coach Brent Dearmon. The show begins at 6:30 p.m. and will air on WLX Radio (98.3/103.5 FM) and on the WLX app. The show will also air live at 306 BBQ hosted by "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray and Mike Ezekiel.
 

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.