Alabama vs. East Carolina: Kickoff time, TV channel announced for 2026 opener

Alabama Football’s 2026 season opener now has a kickoff time and television network.

The Crimson Tide will open the upcoming football season at home against East Carolina on Saturday, September 5, and the non-conference matchup will kick off at 11 a.m. CT on ABC.

This will mark the second-ever meeting between Alabama and the Pirates. The two teams first met in Birmingham in 1998, with the Tide claiming a narrow 23-22 victory. ECU is coming off a 9-4 season, where it capped the 2025 campaign by beating Pittsburgh in the Military Bowl.

Alabama-ECU will be part of an SEC tripleheader on ABC. After the Crimson Tide and Pirates play, Auburn-Baylor (in Atlanta) will start at 2:30 p.m., followed by Clemson at LSU at 6:30 p.m.

ESPN’s full early-season and special date schedule will be released on Wednesday, May 27.

2026 Alabama Football Schedule

Sept. 5 – East Carolina – 11 a.m. (ABC)
Sept. 12 – at Kentucky
Sept. 19 – Florida State
Sept. 26 – South Carolina
Oct. 3 – at Mississippi State
Oct. 10 – Georgia
Oct. 17 – at Tennessee
Oct. 24 – Texas A&M
Oct. 31 – BYE
Nov. 7 – at LSU
Nov. 14 – at Vanderbilt
Nov. 21 – Chattanooga
Nov. 28 – Auburn

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