Alabama football schedule 2025: dates, opponents and how to follow the season
The Alabama football schedule 2025 stretches from late August in Atlanta through the iron weight of a late November regular-season finale in Tuscaloosa, with a postseason that could push into January. If you are planning a fall around the Crimson Tide, this is the practical guide that turns a long list of opponents into a workable game plan, including travel windows, TV windows, and the rivalries worth circling on the calendar.
Below you will find a clean breakdown of every game, the type of matchup it represents, the venue and time of year, and the small details that decide whether you watch from home, drive to a road game, or commit to a full day inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
What the 2025 Alabama football season looks like at a glance
Alabama’s 2025 slate keeps the program’s recent shape: a neutral-site opener against a Power opponent, a soft non-conference build through September, a full SEC schedule that rotates new and familiar opponents, and a late-season stretch that almost always decides whether the Tide play for a conference title. The 2025 edition lands the rivalry game against Auburn on the road in late November, which shapes how the back half of the calendar feels for fans and for the team.
If you only have a few minutes, here is the structural shape of the schedule:
- One neutral-site opener in a major bowl game atmosphere
- Two non-conference home games before league play
- Eight SEC games, with seven against SEC opponents and one traditional non-conference rivalry
- Two bye weeks spread across the season, including the open date that sits between the LSU game and the Iron Bowl run-in
- A rivalry week finale that decides a season of momentum
For the purposes of this article, all dates refer to the publicly announced and reported 2025 calendar, and any time or network slot mentioned is the league’s or venue’s announced detail. Anything that depends on the actual broadcast schedule is flagged in the table notes.
Full Alabama football schedule 2025: game-by-game
The table below lists every game, the date, the opponent, the venue, and a short note on what the matchup means for the season. Use it as the spine of your fall plans; the rest of the article explains how the schedule was built and how to follow it on game day.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Venue | Spot in the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat, Aug 30 | Florida State (neutral site) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA | Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game; national stage opener |
| 2 | Sat, Sep 6 | UL Monroe | Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL | Home opener; warm-up before league play |
| 3 | Sat, Sep 13 | Wisconsin | Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL | Power non-conference test before SEC play |
| 4 | Sat, Sep 20 | Bye week | — | First open date; reset before SEC begins |
| 5 | Sat, Sep 27 | Georgia | Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL | First SEC game; top-tier conference test |
| 6 | Sat, Oct 4 | Vanderbilt | Nashville, TN (away) | Road opener; travel-light conference game |
| 7 | Sat, Oct 11 | Missouri | Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL | Midseason home game against SEC opponent |
| 8 | Sat, Oct 18 | Texas A&M | College Station, TX (away) | First SEC road trip to a hostile venue |
| 9 | Sat, Oct 25 | South Carolina | Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL | Late-October home game in the SEC grind |
| 10 | Sat, Nov 1 | Bye week | — | Second open date; final prep before the run-in |
| 11 | Sat, Nov 8 | LSU | Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL | Major rivalry; defining SEC game |
| 12 | Sat, Nov 15 | Oklahoma | Norman, OK (away) | Late-season road game against a former Big 12 rival now in the SEC |
| 13 | Sat, Nov 22 | Eastern Illinois (non-conference) | Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL | Final tune-up before rivalry week |
| 14 | Sat, Nov 29 | Auburn | Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL | Iron Bowl; regular-season finale |
| Postseason | Dec–Jan | SEC Championship / CFP / bowl | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta / bowl sites | Depends on conference standing and CFP selection |
Times and broadcast networks are set closer to each game and are typically confirmed 6 to 12 days before kickoff through the SEC’s official partner announcements and the team’s athletics site.
How the schedule was built
College football schedules are layered puzzles. The SEC sets the eight-game conference schedule using a fixed rotation, and then each school fills in four non-conference games that must add up to twelve total regular-season games. Alabama’s 2025 setup reflects three of those decisions.
First, the conference rotation puts Georgia, LSU and Auburn on the schedule as the three permanent annual opponents every SEC team plays. The other five SEC games rotate in from the other divisions, and the 2025 set includes Vanderbilt, Missouri, Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.
Second, the program chose to schedule a marquee neutral-site opener, which is why the season begins inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Neutral-site openers are paid games, big recruiting stages, and a chance to play in a controlled environment before returning to campus.
Third, the non-conference home games are split between a Group of Five opponent in UL Monroe and an FCS opponent in Eastern Illinois. That shape lets the team get live reps early, protect the playoff case, and bookend the conference grind with a soft late-November home game before the Iron Bowl.
Game-by-game: what each matchup means for the season
Each game on the 2025 schedule has a specific job inside the season. Reading the calendar that way makes planning easier, because the type of game often tells you what the kickoff window and travel pattern will look like.
Week 1: vs Florida State, neutral site in Atlanta
The opener is a recruiting showcase and a measuring stick against a Power opponent in a bowl-style venue. Neutral-site openers usually kick in the early evening, which means a full Saturday of football for fans. Travel is heavier than a home opener because there is no tailgate at your own stadium, but Atlanta is a short drive for Alabama fans and a short flight for most of the Southeast.
Week 2: vs UL Monroe, home
This is the home opener and a chance to get into Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first time. Expect a mid-afternoon or evening kick, a full gameday tailgate scene, and a straightforward in-state opponent. Tickets, parking and entry lanes are busiest of the year, so plan extra lead time.
Week 3: vs Wisconsin, home
For additional context, Alabama’s second non-conference game is a true test before league play. Power opponents from the Big Ten bring physical line play and pro-style tempo. Plan for a full stadium, a likely national TV window, and one of the louder home environments of the early season.
Week 5: vs Georgia, home
The first SEC game of the season, and the most important September game. Georgia is the kind of opponent that turns a College Football Playoff resume into a top seed or a borderline case. The atmosphere is heavier, the visitor sections are full, and the kick window is usually a primetime slot.
Week 6: at Vanderbilt
The first road game. Nashville is one of the easier SEC road trips by distance, and the game is usually a comfortable early-season conference game. Expect a day kick and a manageable drive for fans who want to make the trip.
Week 7: vs Missouri, home
A mid-October home game against an SEC opponent that has occasionally challenged the Tide. Plan for a standard SEC home environment, late-afternoon or evening kick, and one of the quieter gameday tailgates of the year because the season has settled in.
Week 8: at Texas A&M
One of the louder road environments in the league. Kyle Field holds more than 100,000, and the visitor section is small. Tickets are hard to find through normal channels, and most Alabama fans in the building are guests of season-ticket holders. Plan for a long day and a likely primetime or late-afternoon kick.
Week 9: vs South Carolina, home
Late-October home game in the heart of the conference schedule. Weather is cooler, kick is often later in the day, and the matchup has trended toward tight games in recent seasons.
Week 11: vs LSU, home
The biggest home game of the season. LSU series games often settle College Football Playoff resumes and conference title races. Plan for a national TV window, an all-day tailgate, and heavy demand for tickets, parking passes, and downtown Tuscaloosa hotel rooms.
Week 12: at Oklahoma
One of the longest road trips on the schedule. Norman is more than 600 miles from Tuscaloosa, so most traveling fans fly into Oklahoma City and drive in. Expect a primetime or late-afternoon kick, a Big 12-style atmosphere, and a hostile environment even with the smaller visitor section.
Week 13: vs Eastern Illinois, home
A late-season non-conference game that protects the schedule while letting the team tune up. The stadium is rarely full, tickets are easy to find, and the kick window is often a comfortable day game. This is also the last home game of the regular season for fans who want a calm gameday.
Week 14: at Auburn, the Iron Bowl
The Iron Bowl is the regular-season finale. Jordan-Hare is one of the loudest road environments in college football, and tickets are split between Auburn’s full season-ticket base and a small Alabama allotment. Plan to be in place well before kickoff, and expect primetime broadcast windows.
Where the bye weeks fall and why they matter
Two open dates shape the season. The first bye lands after the non-conference home stretch and before the Georgia game, which is the first time a top-tier conference test shows up. The second bye lands between the South Carolina game and the LSU game, giving the team a clean week to prepare for the back half of the schedule.
For fans, byes are useful for travel recovery, for catching up on other conference games, and for booking postseason travel without committing early. They also tend to be the weeks when any lingering injury questions become clearer.
Kickoff windows and broadcast expectations
The SEC’s broadcast partners choose game windows in two waves: a first announcement roughly 12 days before kickoff, and a final slot six days before kickoff. Big home games, rivalry games, and games with playoff implications usually land in the 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. CT primetime window. Road games against ranked opponents usually follow the same rule. Lower-stakes games and late-November home games often kick in the early afternoon.
If you are planning a trip, build your travel around a likely 6:30 p.m. CT window for the LSU and Iron Bowl weeks, and a likely early-afternoon window for the UL Monroe and Eastern Illinois home games.
How to plan travel around the schedule
The road schedule has two distinct types of trips: short drives and full trips. The table below groups each game by what kind of travel plan it actually requires.
| Game | Travel type | Drive time from Tuscaloosa (approx.) | Fan planning notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs Florida State (Atlanta) | Short neutral-site trip | 2.5 hours | Book hotels early; neutral-site parking is limited |
| at Vanderbilt (Nashville) | Short road trip | 3 hours | Day-trip friendly; downtown hotels are walkable |
| at Texas A&M (College Station) | Long drive or short flight | 9 hours | Visitor tickets are scarce; coordinate with season-ticket holders |
| at Oklahoma (Norman) | Full road trip | 10+ hours | Fly into OKC and drive in; book early |
| at Auburn | Short rivalry road trip | 1.5 hours | Expect heavy traffic; arrive early; tailgate space is limited |
Tailgating, tickets and game-day logistics
Game day in Tuscaloosa is a routine once you have done it twice. The trick is treating the new schedule as a separate plan for each game, because the same routine does not always work for a noon kick and a primetime kick.
- Tickets: the LSU, Georgia, and Iron Bowl games are the hardest to find on the secondary market. Buy early or set a budget ceiling and stick to it.
- Parking: the closest private lots around Bryant-Denny are sold as season passes; single-game options open closer to the date. Walk-up lots are available but fill up early on rivalry weeks.
- Hotels: downtown Tuscaloosa and Northport book out the night before primetime home games. For the LSU week and the Iron Bowl week, book at least a month in advance.
- Tailgate timing: for a 6:30 p.m. CT kick, most serious tailgates start by early afternoon. For a noon kick, the parking lots open at sunrise and the scene builds through late morning.
- Weather: late October and November games can be cool or cold, with rain possible. Layer up and check the forecast the morning of the game.
How to follow the Alabama football schedule 2025 if you cannot attend
Not every fan lives near a stadium, and the broadcast picture for the SEC is a layered mix of network partners, streaming rights, and a single dedicated channel that covers the league. The basic fan checklist looks like this:
- Bookmark the official Alabama athletics site for the live schedule, including time changes, network assignments and any weather-related announcements.
- Check the SEC’s official site for conference-wide broadcast windows and any televised weeknight games.
- Confirm the broadcast partner per game: CBS, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and the SEC’s dedicated linear channel are the main homes for SEC games in 2025.
- Use a streaming bundle that includes the broadcast network carrying the game, plus a sports tier that covers cable-only SEC matchups.
- Set calendar reminders the morning the broadcast window is announced so you do not miss a 6-day-out change.
Travel checklist for a home game
A short, practical checklist for any home game in 2025:
- Confirm the kick window on the Monday of game week
- Pre-pay for parking if you have a long drive
- Pack a clear bag for stadium entry
- Charge a portable battery; mobile tickets are the norm
- Check the weather for the kick window, not the morning forecast
- Plan a meeting spot for after the game, especially for primetime home games with heavy crowds
How the postseason picture lines up with the schedule
Alabama’s 2025 postseason path depends on the regular season. If the team wins the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, the postseason is straightforward. If not, the next stop is one of the major New Year’s Six bowls or a College Football Playoff at-large slot, depending on the final rankings.
For fans, the practical implication is simple: leave the calendar open from early December through the bowl announcement in mid-December. Book travel for any CFP-related game only after the matchup is set, because host cities are announced separately and rotation rules affect which bowl gets which team.
Comparing the home and road halves of the schedule
It helps to read the home and road schedules side by side, because most season plans are built around the back half of the calendar.
| Half | Home games | Away or neutral games | Hardest opponent | Softest matchup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September (Weeks 1–4) | UL Monroe, Wisconsin | Florida State (neutral) | Florida State | UL Monroe |
| October (Weeks 5–9) | Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina | Vanderbilt, Texas A&M | Georgia | Vanderbilt (road) |
| LSU, Eastern Illinois | Oklahoma, Auburn | Auburn | Eastern Illinois |
That shape tells the story of the season. The September slate builds reps and tests the team against Power competition. October is the SEC grind with one of the hardest home tests of the year. November is the rivalry run-in, capped by the Iron Bowl on the road.
What a fan should do right now to get ready
Three practical next steps, in order of urgency:
- Lock in travel for the Iron Bowl week. Auburn tickets and Auburn hotels move first every year.
- Decide whether you want to attend the LSU home game in person or watch from home, and book tickets within a tight budget so you do not overspend later.
- Set up your streaming and broadcast access for the SEC’s main networks so you are ready for any weeknight schedule shift.
If you are planning a longer trip, the neutral-site opener in Atlanta is the easiest neutral-site game to attend on a budget, and it gives you a full Saturday of football before the home schedule starts the next week.
How this schedule shapes Alabama’s 2025 case
Schedule strength matters in the rankings, and the 2025 slate is structured to support a top resume. A neutral-site game against Florida State, a home game against Wisconsin, the annual game against Georgia, a road game at Texas A&M, a home game against LSU, a road game at Oklahoma and the Iron Bowl on the road give the selection committee a clear picture of how the team travels and how it handles rivalry weeks.
The non-conference home games against UL Monroe and Eastern Illinois are also deliberate. They are the kind of games a top-tier program uses to keep the strength-of-schedule profile high without adding risk in a year when the SEC slate is already heavy.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Alabama football schedule 2025 start?
The 2025 regular season begins on Saturday, August 30, with the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against Florida State inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Where is Alabama’s 2025 opener being played?
The opener is at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, a neutral-site game hosted as part of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff series.
How many SEC games does Alabama play in 2025?
Alabama plays eight SEC regular-season games in 2025, plus the SEC Championship Game if the team qualifies as the SEC West representative or as a wildcard.
What is the toughest game on the 2025 Alabama schedule?
The Georgia home game and the Iron Bowl at Auburn are the two games most likely to define the season. The road game at Texas A&M and the home game against LSU are the next tier of difficulty.
When is the Iron Bowl in 2025?
The Iron Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, November 29, 2025, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.
When is Alabama vs LSU in 2025?
Alabama hosts LSU on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
How many bye weeks does Alabama have in 2025?
Alabama has two bye weeks in 2025: the open date on Saturday, September 20, and the second open date on Saturday, November 1.
How can fans watch Alabama football in 2025?
Fans can watch through the SEC’s main broadcast partners, which include CBS, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and the SEC’s dedicated linear channel. Streaming options depend on which network carries each specific game.
Where can fans buy official Alabama football tickets?
Official single-game and season tickets are sold through the Alabama athletics ticket office. Verified resale tickets are sold through the official secondary marketplace partners listed on the athletics site.
Where can fans find the latest schedule updates during the season?
The official Alabama athletics site, the SEC’s official site, and the official team social accounts are the best sources for kickoff time changes, broadcast updates, and any weather-related announcements.