The Alabama Crimson Tide have added the East Carolina Pirates to their 2026 football schedule, both schools announced Tuesday.
Alabama will host East Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. The Crimson Tide will pay the Pirates a $1.5 million guarantee for the game, according to a copy of the contract obtained from East Carolina University via a public records request.
The 2026 Alabama-East Carolina matchup will mark only the second contest between the two schools on the gridiron. In their first matchup on Oct. 17, 1998, the Crimson Tide slipped by the Pirates, 23-22, at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.
East Carolina replaces West Virginia on Alabama’s 2026 football schedule. Alabama and West Virginia agreed to the cancellation following the announcement that the SEC will begin playing a nine-game conference football schedule next season.
“We are proud of the number of high-quality home-and-home non-conference games we have scheduled for the next 10 years,” said Alabama director of athletics Greg Byrne. “That being said, we know that college athletics has been evolving and changing rapidly over the last few years, and it made sense for us to make these adjustments on our future schedules. We have a bit more flexibility as we transition to a nine-game format in the Southeastern Conference, and it gives us the opportunity to further evaluate how strength of schedule is evaluated for the College Football Playoff. Between other home-and-homes as well as conference games, we will continue to have a solid strength of schedule, which is good for our team, fans and college football.”
In other non-conference action in 2026, Alabama will host the USF Bulls on Sept. 12 and the Florida State Seminoles on Sept. 19.
“We are excited for the opportunity to open our 2026 season against one of the premier programs in college football,” ECU Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert said. “Alabama represents the highest level of competition, and it’s a great chance for our football program to play on a national stage. It’s also a tremendous experience for our fans and a unique opportunity to showcase East Carolina University.”
With the addition of Alabama, East Carolina has completed its non-conference schedule in 2026. Following the Tuscaloosa trip, the Pirates are slated to host the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Sept. 12, visit the Old Dominion Monarchs on Sept. 19, and host the North Carolina Central Eagles on Sept. 26.
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Go Pirates!
I think Alabama meant to schedule Western Carolina, but they had their map upside down.
Couldn’t handle Morgantown WV I see.