Report: Alabama, Louisville to open 2018 season

Alabama and Louisville will kick off the 2018 season in Orlando

Alabama and Louisville will kick off the 2018 season in Orlando, reports ESPN.com’s Brett McMurphy.

The game is slated to be played Sept. 1, 2018 at the Orlando Citrus Bowl.

The contest against the Cardinals will mark the seventh straight season that Alabama will not have a true road game on its schedule.

Ole Miss and Florida State will play at the Citrus Bowl to open the 2016 season.

The Crimson Tide open 2015 against Wisconsin and the 2016 season against USC. Both games will played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Florida State will be Alabama’s season-opening opponent for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff in 2017 with a game in Atlanta at the Falcons' new stadium.

Louisville has future neutral site openers against Auburn on Sept. 5 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and in 2017 against Purdue in Indianapolis.

Alabama leads the all-time series with Louisville two games to one. The teams haven’t played since 1991, a 34-7 victory by Louisville in the Fiesta Bowl. 

Alabama comes into this season ranked No. 3 in the Amway Coaches Poll. Louisville is unranked in the poll.

- Scooby Axson