Alabama schedule through 2024 looks outrageous with SEC’s move to 9 games
By Derek Hryn
Published:
With the SEC moving to a 9-game conference schedule in 2026, the future Alabama football schedule looks much more interesting.
The Crimson Tide will satisfy the SEC’s new “10 games vs. power conference opponents” requirement and then some. AL.com’s Nick Kelly pointed out on social media that Alabama is set to play 11 Power 4 teams every year through 2034.
In 2026, the Tide will face West Virginia and Florida State, alongside 9 SEC games. Ohio State enters the mix in 2027, paired again with West Virginia. The 2028 season features Ohio State and Oklahoma State, followed by Notre Dame and Oklahoma State in 2029. The early 2030s continue the trend: Georgia Tech (2030-31), Boston College (2031, 2034), Arizona (2032-33), Minnesota (2032-33), and Virginia Tech (2034).
But will any of these non-conference matchups stick? With scheduling negotiations, TV contracts, and potential College Football Playoff-driven adjustments, some games could be tweaked or canceled before kickoff.
But as it stands, the slate gives Alabama marquee contests that maintain traditional rivalries, provide early-season tests and strengthen the Tide’s Playoff resume.
Fans can anticipate nationally televised clashes from the opener through November, but with college football’s landscape constantly shifting, nothing outside the SEC schedule is guaranteed.
Alabama’s recruiting pitch gets a tad more complicated, as well. Playing juggernauts like Ohio State, FSU, and Notre Dame early in the season gives the Tide more challenges than they may be able to handle. Alabama went 9-3 last fall in its first season under coach Kalen DeBoer, missing the CFP for just the third time since its inception. The Tide are looking to make it back this fall.
