HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (August 27, 2026) – Football season has arrived!
 
The University of North Alabama football team will kick off a historic season this Saturday night, as the Lions will play in the first-ever college football game at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville, Ala. UNA will battle Samford in the Story Financial Partners Bowl, hosted in partnership with the Huntsville Convention & Visitors Bureau and Huntsville Sports Commission.
 
Here are the top things to know for Saturday's game in Rocket City.
 
1. KICKOFF: The Lions and Bulldogs will kick off at 6:02 p.m.
 
2. TICKETS: General admission tickets are on sale through TicketMaster starting at $20 for general admission and $40 for reserved seats. Prices will increase to $30 for general admission and $50 for reserved on game day. Premium options can be viewed at this link. This game is not included in UNA's season ticket package. Fans can call 256-765-5466 for more info.
 
3. PARKING: Parking is available to the public for $10 and will be located on the south side of the stadium — behind the original Joe Davis Stadium Press Box. Tailgating options are open six hours prior to kickoff and will be located closer to the main gate. For more information, fans can reach out to Rachel Nichols at rnichols@huntsvillecityfc.com.
 
4. PRESENTING SPONSOR: Saturday's game sponsor is Story Financial Partners, located in Huntsville. Story Financial Partners was founded in 2000 and has five locations in Mississippi, one in Tennessee and one in Alabama. For more information, click here.
 
5. KNOW YOUR GATE: Fans will enter at Gates 1 and 2 at Joe Davis Stadium. To view gates on a stadium map, click here.
 
6. CASHLESS VENUE: Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium is a cashless venue. Fans are encouraged to prepare accordingly to make purchases by card or Apple Pay.
 
7. BAG POLICY: Fans are encouraged to review the bag policy before arriving to the stadium, as many bag types are prohibited inside Joe Davis 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. ABOUT THE FACILITY: Joe Davis Stadium is a staple of the Huntsville area, built in 1985 as a baseball facility for the Huntsville Stars minor league baseball team. The Stars played here until 2014. A number of legendary baseball players such as Joe Canseco, Mark McGwire, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder launched their careers at this facility. Now, the stadium is home to the Huntsville City FC professional soccer team and seats 6,000 fans. It is located at 3125 Leeman Ferry Road in Huntsville.
 
9. ENHANCED NEUTRAL SITE ATMOSPHERE: Both UNA and Samford will bring the energy on Saturday, as both bands, both cheer squads, both mascots and both dance teams will be in attendance. The UNA Marching Pride will play the national anthem and will perform its first halftime show of the season. UNA's sideline will be on the east side closest to the press box.
 
10. WATCH ON ESPN+: The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray and Bryan Neece on the call. Gyvan Hammons will serve as the sideline reporter for this game and for all UNA home games this season. Ray and Neece will be the home TV booth and visiting radio booth for UNA once again this season, making them the longest-tenured radio voices in UNA Football history entering their 10th season. The broadcast will begin at 6 p.m. and can be found at this link or on the ESPN app.
 
11. 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. Jordan Campbell and former UNA quarterback Jacob Tucker 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 begins at 5 p.m. followed by kickoff at 6 p.m. To find your preferred listening platform, click here.
 
12. LIVE STATS: Fans who are interested in following live stats can do so via StatBroadcast.
 
13. GAME NOTES: Fans can preview both teams and catch up on all the storylines, depth charts, statistical trends and much more through UNA's game notes. Click here for more info.
 
14. DOWNLOAD OUR APP: Fans are encouraged to download the Roar Lions app, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. The app was launched in 2023 and includes ticket information, team shop, schedules, rosters and links to watch and listen to the games online.
 
15. SERIES HISTORY: Saturday will mark the 13th all-time meeting between UNA and Samford dating back to the restart of UNA's football program in 1949. This will be the first meeting between UNA and Samford since 2002 and the second meeting since 1972. UNA has a 6-4-2 record in the all-time series, but Samford has won the last three meetings.
 
16. THE SERIES RUNS DEEP: The first meeting in 1949 was a 28-7 win for North Alabama and marked the program's first win of the modern era. Since that first win, UNA has added 487 more over 77 seasons. In that first game, UNA had its first-ever 100-yard rushing performance from Carl Boley. On the other sideline for Samford was legendary Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden. In the most recent meeting in 2002, UNA fell 24-21 in double-overtime in what was nearly a Division II over Division I upset in Birmingham. This was the first career start at quarterback for Will Hall, who went on to win the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2003 as the most valuable player in Division II.
 
17. UNA vs. IN-STATE OPPONENTS: UNA has an all-time record of 133-77-7 against in-state opponents. The Lions have winning records in the all-time series over the likes of Troy, Samford, Alabama A&M, Miles College, St. Bernard, Stillman, Tuskegee and West Alabama. The bulk of those wins comes from a 52-18-1 record against West Alabama.
 
18. BARRIER BREAKERS: UNA and Samford are both major parts of Alabama college football history. In 1968, UNA became the first predominantly white college in the state of Alabama to play an African-American player in a collegiate football game. Freshmen Leonard "Rabbit" Thomas of Huntsville, Ala., and Bobby Joe Pride of Decatur, Ala., played in the Lions' season-opening game against Central Arkansas on September 21, 1968, breaking the color barrier in the state. The duo not only played in every game that season but both went on to distinguished careers as four-year lettermen for the Lions...both are members of the UNA Athletic Hall of Fame. Samford followed suit in 1969 and one of the first four teams along with West Alabama and Jacksonville State. "Rabbit" Thomas will be recognized at the Story Financial Partners Bowl on Saturday during a pregame ceremony.
 
19. LION LEGENDS IN HUNTSVILLE: Prior to the game, UNA will recognize 10 members of the UNA Athletic Hall of Fame who originate from the Huntsville area. Those 10 will also have various media appearances with ESPN+ and Roar Lions Productions on Saturday. This list includes football legends Rodney Brooks, Don Cornelius, Keith Humphrey, Israel Raybon, Jeff Redcross, Don Smith and Leonard "Rabbit" Thomas, cross country legend Emry McKay Bryan and basketball legends Tracy McCall Gholston and Colonel Don Faint.
 
20. 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.
 
21. NEW SEASON, NEW STADIUM: The 78th season of UNA football will be a memorable one with the opening of Bobby Wallace Field at Bank Independent Stadium set for Saturday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. against Alcorn State. UNA played its first 77 seasons off-campus at historic Braly Stadium. Now, the Lions will have their own 10,000 seat stadium to call home in the heart of campus. The stadium is located on Pine Street between Mike D. Lane Field and CB&S Bank Arena. For more information, click here.
 
22. SEASON TICKETS: Fans can purchase season tickets for the first season at Bank Independent Stadium by calling 256-765-5466 or by visiting this link. Single game tickets went on sell last week and are available at this link.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.