Bama Central

Alabama's Homecoming Game Against Arkansas Slated for Night Kickoff

After no evening games through hottest part of season, Crimson Tide to play back-to-back night games

Christopher Walsh

Alabama's Homecoming Game Against Arkansas Slated for Night Kickoff
Alabama's Homecoming Game Against Arkansas Slated for Night Kickoff /

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama's repeated requests for some prime time games did not fall on deaf ears. 

Monday morning, the league office announced that Alabama’s homecoming game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 26 is scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff.

The game will be shown on ESPN.

The time slot mean that after six games of afternoon kickoffs, many played in brutal heat, Alabama will have back-to-back night home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium. 

Saturday's game against Tennessee, the Third Saturday in October rivalry, is set for an 8 p.m. start. It will also be shown on ESPN.

"I like night games because we get to watch movies the day before," safety Xavier McKinney said. "It’s a chill little moment. The environment is cool and I like to play in those types of environments."

The game will be the debut of Alabama's new elaborate LED light system at Bryant-Denny Stadium. 

"I'm anxious to see how they look but I'm just happy that we get to play a night game," junior linebacker Terrell Lewis said.

The forecast is for partly cloudy conditions, high of 76 and low of 61.

The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series with the Razorbacks, 22-7 (19-8 after vacations and forfeits) and has won the last 12 meetings between the two teams. 

Alabama recorded a 41-9 victory in the Tide’s most recent matchup in Tuscaloosa in 2017.

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Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.

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