HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (January 23, 2026) – In a joint announcement with the Huntsville Sports Commission, the University of North Alabama announced its 2026 football season opener on Friday, as the Lions will battle Samford on Saturday, August 29, 2026.
 
The game will kickoff at 6 p.m. from Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium — current home of Huntsville City FC and former home of the Huntsville Stars minor league baseball team.
 
For UNA, this will be the first of 12 games on the 2026 regular season schedule. The full schedule will be officially revealed on Monday, Feb. 2.
 
"We are thrilled to team up with Huntsville's leadership to bring marquee neutral‑site events to one of the fastest‑growing markets in the Southeast," said UNA Director of Athletics Dr. Josh Looney. "Huntsville is home to an incredible base of UNA alumni, Lion supporters and future students, and opening the 2026 season here as the home team gives us a powerful stage to energize North Alabama. With this matchup, we'll deliver seven football games across our region next fall, making 2026 one of the most exciting football schedules in recent UNA history."
 
This will be UNA's second time in five seasons hosting a football game in Huntsville. The Lions hosted Jacksonville State at Toyota Field in 2022. Joe Davis Stadium has also hosted UNA and Jax State for a pair of soccer games the last two seasons.
 
"When we renovated Joe Davis Stadium, we focused on making it a multi-purpose venue that could host professional soccer as well as other sporting and entertainment events," said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. "We are excited to welcome our friends at UNA and Samford and are honored they chose Huntsville to kickoff their football season."
 
Tickets will go on sale in February with several fan-friendly experiences planned inside and outside the stadium.
 
"We appreciate our friends at UNA and Samford working with us to start the 2026 season in Huntsville and bring college football to Joe Davis Stadium," said Mark Russell, Executive Director of the Huntsville Sports Commission. "This is more than a game – it's going to be an event to celebrate the start of college football season, and we will deliver a first-class experience for everyone."

This will be the 13th game between UNA and Samford since the Lions restarted the program full-time in 1949. UNA leads the series with a 6-4-2 record. There was also one known meeting between the in-state programs in 1913, which came during the first era of UNA football from 1912-1928.
 
"Bringing college football to the stadium has been one of our goals and this is a tremendous matchup to start the 2026 season here in Huntsville," said Joel Lamp, Sports Development Manager for the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. "It takes a tremendous amount of teamwork to make these events happen.  Aligning with two great brands like UNA and Samford to kickoff the season allows us to showcase our city in a different light, make an economic impact and gives our community a new event to enjoy."
 
On the heels of this announcement, UNA head coach Brent Dearmon will announce his completed 2026 coaching staff on Wednesday, Jan. 27. The 2026 schedule announcement will come during the week of National Signing Day on Feb. 4.
 
UNA will have a new home in 2026 — Bobby Wallace Field at Bank Independent Stadium. For more information, click here.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.