FLORENCE, Ala. (October 1, 2026) – The University of North Alabama football team concluded the non-conference portion of the regular season last weekend with a 23-20 win over Western Illinois and will look to ride the momentum of a 3-2 record into the start of United Athletic Conference play this Saturday.
 
The Lions begin UAC competition with a road tilt Saturday at Eastern Kentucky in Richmond, Ky.
 
Here are the top things to know for Saturday's UAC opener.
 
1. KICKOFF: The Lions and Colonels will kick off at 5 p.m. CT from Roy Kidd Stadium.
 
2. TICKETS: Fans can purchase tickets from the EKU ticket office by visiting this link or calling 859-622-2122. General admission tickets start at $13.50 with GA located behind the west end zone.
 
3. PARKING: Parking at EKU is free of charge, and public parking is available at the following lots on campus — Olympic Sports Training Center, Brockton, Hanlon, Dizney, Commonwealth, Alumni Coliseum back lots or in parking lots across the EKU bypass. For more information on parking and other game day questions, click here.
 
4. OFFICIAL WATCH PARTY: For road football games this season, Mugshot's Grill & Bar in downtown Florence is the official watch party location of UNA Athletics. For fans not making the trip to Kentucky, head to the Florence location on 321 N Court St.
 
5. WATCH ON ESPN+: The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with Wes Chandler, Jonathan Duff and Maggie Davis on the call. The broadcast will begin at 5 p.m. CT and can be found at this link or on the ESPN app.
 
6. LISTEN ON ROAR LIONS PRODUCTIONS: For a second straight season, the Lions are on the fastest growing digital radio platform in college football, The Varsity Network. Fans can listen free of charge to all UNA football games on the Varsity Network app or on roarlions.com/watch. The "booth cam" broadcast is also available on the UNA Athletics Facebook, X, YouTube and Twitch pages. "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray and Bryan Neece will be in the booth, while Chase Glover will serve as the pregame and halftime host and sideline reporter. The "Countdown to Kickoff" presented by Bank Independent will begin at 4 p.m. CT. To find your preferred listening platform, click here.

7. SERIES HISTORY: This will be the fifth all-time meeting between UNA and EKU. The Colonels lead the series with a 3-1 record, though UNA won last year's meeting by a 35-14 final in Florence. That game marked the final homecoming at historic Braly Stadium. The two sides have played each season since 2022.
 
8. LIONS AGAINST THE BLUE GRASS STATE: EKU will be UNA's only opponent from the state of Kentucky this season. The Lions are 7-7 all-time against the Bluegrass State. Five of the seven wins came from 1954-61 in an eight-game series against Murray State during the early years of UNA's football program.
 
9. UNITED FRONT: The Lions wrapped up non-conference play with a 3-2 record with wins over Samford, Alcorn State and Western Illinois. The two losses came to SEC opponent Arkansas and FCS vote-getter Southeastern Louisiana. Starting Saturday, UNA will play seven straight games against United Athletic Conference opponents with four at home and three on the road. Depending on what metric fans look at, the UAC is one of the top three conferences in FCS football along with the Missouri Valley and Big Sky. Three of the eight programs in the UAC are ranked this week.
 
10. UNA FOOTBALL NIGHT AT LOST PIZZA: Fans are reminded to head over to Lost Pizza Shoals in downtown Florence on Monday nights during football season for the UNA Football Hour with Coach Brent Dearmon and select guests, including coaches and student-athletes. The show begins at 7 p.m. and will air on 93.9 FM The Score and on all Roar Lions Productions outlets. The show will also air live inside Lost Pizza. Fans are encouraged to check out their tailgate options at the Lost Pizza Shoals website or by calling 256-415-8693.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.