FLORENCE, Ala. (September 5, 2024) – The home opener for the University of North Alabama football team is just two days away, as the Lions are set to welcome nationally-ranked Illinois State on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. inside Braly Stadium.
 
Here are the top things to know for Saturday's game.
 
1. KICKOFF: The Lions and Redbirds will officially kickoff at 6:02 p.m. from Braly Stadium.
 
2. PRESENTING GAME SPONSOR: Saturday's presenting game sponsor is Bojangles, the official chicken of North Alabama Athletics. Fans can pick up their free promotional Bojangles gift card upon entry to the stadium.
 
3. 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.
 
4. 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
 
5. KNOW YOUR GATE: This season, UNA will have seven different entry points for fans. The top of Braly Stadium on the home side will have a main entrance gate, a season ticket holder gate, a gate for recruits and a mobile entry access gate. There are also two side entrances on the home side, with the North side (closest to the videoboard) serving as the student gate. The visiting team's fans will enter at Gate 7 along Royal Avenue on the North end zone side. To view a map, click here.
 
6. CASHLESS VENUE: Like last season, 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 at the old baseball field behind the South end zone or the Royal Avenue Center tennis courts for $12 on game day. The middle school parking lot is sold out. There is also free parking available at the Royal Avenue Pool. For an updated parking map for Saturday's game, click here.
 
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 will run from 4-10 p.m. and will run for one hour 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 presented by Bud Light 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: This week's food trucks will be Quench and Sparks's Sweet Smoke BBQ. These vendors will be located along North Royal Avenue during pre-game.
 
12. UNA BOOKSTORE OPEN AT BRALY: Fans can pick up the latest licensed North Alabama apparel at the UNA Bookstore on the concourse under the main grandstands. Each week, the bookstore will select and "Item of the Game" which will be discounted 20% if purchased on gameday.
 
13. 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.
 
14. 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. During Lion Walk, UNA's cheer and dance teams will be throwing out T-Shirts courtesy of Martin's Family Clothing. Fans are encouraged to cheer on the Lions as they walk toward the stadium.
 
15. 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. Fans can also access game programs at roarlions.com.
 
16. DOWNLOAD OUR APP: Fans are also encouraged to download the Roar Lions app, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. The app was launched last season and includes ticket information, team shop, game programs, schedules, rosters and links to watch and listen to the games online.
 
17. 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.
 
18. 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 Jordan Campbell will be joined by former UNA quarterback Jacob Tucker in the booth. Chase Glover will be on the sidelines. The UNA radio broadcast will begin at 5 p.m. with the "Countdown to Kickoff" featuring interviews with the coaches and live pre-game segments with Jordan and Jacob.
 
19. LIVE STATS: Fans who are interested in following live stats can do so via StatBroadcast.
 
20. UNA GAME NOTES: Want to learn more about the Lions this week? Check out our game notes packet which is also sent to the media and broadcasters each week. Click here.
 
21. MEET THE OPPONENT: Curious about this week's opponent? To check out their game notes, click here.
 
22. 76TH SEASON OF UNA FOOTBALL: The 2024 season marks the 76th year of North Alabama Football. UNA has an all-time record of 483-308-16, while boasting 21 NCAA playoff appearances, 17 conference championships and three national championships. This season marks UNA's seventh at the FCS level and just the third as a full-fledged member.
 
23. A NEW ERA, A NEW CONFERENCE: The Lions are one of the charter members of the newly-formed United Athletic Conference (UAC) and were 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, Tarleton State, Utah Tech and new member West Georgia. The Lions and Wolves last played in 2017 as members of the Gulf South Conference.
 
24. SERIES HISTORY: This will be the first all-time meeting between UNA and Illinois State. The Redbirds are the only first-time opponent for UNA this season. The Lions have previously played two schools from the state of Illinois, owning a 1-1 record with a loss to Eastern Illinois in 1980 and a win over Western Illinois in 2019. Furthermore, Illinois State will be the seventh opponent UNA has played in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, with UNA owning an 8-8 record against six of the current members. This includes Indiana State (0-1), Missouri State (2-0), Murray State (5-3), North Dakota (1-1), North Dakota State (0-2) and Youngstown State (0-1).
 
25. UNA LUNCH HOUR ON WEDNESDAYS AT 306 BBQ: Fans are reminded to head over to 306 Barbecue in downtown Florence every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. during football season. The show begins at 11 a.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 Benjamin Ray and Mike Ezekiel. The show will feature a weekly appearance from Coach Brent Dearmon and visits from other coaches, student-athletes and staff members from the athletic department.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.