MONTGOMERY, Ala. (August 22, 2023) – It is August, and football will be played this Saturday.
 
For the second straight season, the University of North Alabama will play in the "Week 0" FCS Kickoff game when the Lions battle Southeast Missouri on Saturday, August 24 at 6 p.m. inside the historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. The football game will be nationally televised and will air in primetime on ESPN.
 
Whether fans make the trip down to the state capitol, watch on ESPN's flagship station or listen live to UNA's local broadcast team on WLX Radio — 98.3 FM and 103.5 FM, here are some things to know.
 
1. STARTING EARLY: Last season, UNA and Mercer were the first two FCS teams to play each other in the 2023 season. This year, UNA will be in the third game of the FCS season. McNeese will play fellow United Athletic Conference member Tarleton State at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2 and Montana State will battle New Mexico at 3 p.m. on FS1. UNA will be the first primetime game for the main ESPN channel this season.
 
2. BACK ON TV: For the third time in a full calendar year, the Lions will play on national television, something very few FCS programs can claim. This includes last year's FCS Kickoff on ESPN and ESPNU on August 26, 2023 and on The CW against Florida State on Nov. 18, 2023. The game with Florida State drew 1.3 million viewers and broke six-year primetime records for the CW. Beyond the last two years, the Lions have appeared three other times on ESPN, including the 1985 national title game and both the 1993 and 1995 national championship wins.
 
3. MORE WORLDWIDE LEADER FACTS: Though this will be UNA's fifth time on the main channel, the Lions have also played three times on ESPN2 and twice on ESPNU. The most recent ESPN2 game was the 2016 Division II National Championship game against Northwest Missouri State. The other was the 1994 national championship game on ESPN2, where North Alabama defeated Texas A&M Kingsville.
 
4. ABOUT THE FCS KICKOFF: The FCS Kickoff has provided a national showcase for top FCS schools since its launch in 2014. ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, has assumed ownership of the game and will host it at Montgomery's Cramton Bowl. Saturday will be the 10th edition of the game and the seventh-straight kickoff game to be hosted in Alabama's capitol city.
 
5. TICKET INFORMATION:. Tickets for the FCS Kickoff are on sale now, starting at $20 for general admission. The UNA section is on the East Side of the stadium in sections N-S. UNA also has premium packages available, including the Field Suite and ESPN Zone. For more information on tickets for Saturday's game, click here or call 256-765-5466.
 
6. STADIUM INFORMATION: The Camellia Bowl website provides a Cramton Bowl stadium map and a list of items that are permitted and prohibited when entering the stadium. For more information on stadium policies and a stadium map, click here.
 
7. PARKING: Parking information, including a map and tailgating information, can be found here.
 
8. TRASH PANDAS IN TOWN: UNA will not be the only team representing North Alabama in Montgomery this weekend, as the Montgomery Biscuits are hosting the Rocket City Trash Pandas for a six-game set. First pitch Friday is set for 6:35 p.m. at Riverwalk Stadium. For a list of things to do in Montgomery, click here.
 
9. WATCH ON ANY DEVICE: Fans can access Saturday's game on ESPN and online at this link. Jay Alter will be on play-by-play, Rocky Boiman will be the analyst and Morgan Uber will be the sideline reporter.
 
10. LISTEN ON WLX RADIO: "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray and color analyst Bryan Neece will be the radio broadcast team for Saturday. Lion fans can catch all the action on WLX Radio — 98.3 FM and 103.5 FM in the Shoals or worldwide on the WLX App or online at this link. The broadcast begins at 5 p.m. with the pre-game show and 6 p.m. for kickoff.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.