FLORENCE, Ala. (July 29, 2026) – The University of North Alabama football team took the field for the first day of fall camp on Wednesday at the Cox Creek Sports Complex in Florence. The Lions are exactly one month away from the season opener.
Entering fall camp, UNA fields a roster of 119 players. This includes 15 returning lettermen on the offensive side and 12 returning lettermen on the defense. The Lions also have a healthy mix of freshmen and transfers competing for starting spots.
UNA enters its fourth season under head coach
Brent Dearmon. Over his three seasons, Dearmon and the Lions have picked up marquee wins over Chattanooga, No. 10 ranked Abilene Christian and Eastern Kentucky, among others. Dearmon will enter the season with some fresh faces on the coaching staff, including new offensive coordinator Travis Partridge and new defensive coordinator Clint Bowen.
"Overall, I thought our players came out and they responded well," said Dearmon following practice. "It's day one — everyone in the country is having the same day one…you never have an awful day one or a great day one. Now, it's how can I improve from day one to day two and can we constantly close the gap. That's been the motto we've talked about with the team...can tomorrow be better than today."
UNA will have 30 days to prepare for its season opener against Samford on August 29 at 6 p.m. The game will be hosted Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville as the Story Financial Partners Bowl. This will mark the first college football game to be played in the venue, which is home to Huntsville City FC and the former home of the Huntsville Stars minor league baseball team.
Following Samford, UNA will take on an SEC opponent for the second time ever and the first time since 1959 with a trip to Arkansas on Sept. 5. The first SEC opponent for UNA was Vanderbilt in Nashville roughly 67 years ago.
Following a road trip to Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 12, the Lions will host Alcorn State for the grand opening of Bobby Wallace Field at Bank Independent Stadium on Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. This will be the first of six home games to be hosted at Bank Independent Stadium — the first on-campus venue in program history.
Fans can purchase tickets by visiting RoarLions.com or by calling 256-765-5466.
INFORMATION CENTRAL
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
