The Alabama Crimson Tide have added two Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponents to their future football schedules, FBSchedules.com has learned.
Copies of contracts for games against Eastern Illinois University and the University of Tennessee at Martin were obtained from the University of Alabama via a state open records request.
Alabama will host the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. The Crimson Tide will pay the Panthers a $560,000 guarantee for playing the game, according to the copy of the contract that was executed on May 11, 2021.
The 2025 Eastern Illinois-Alabama contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.
The UT Martin Skyhawks will travel to take on the Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2028. Per the contract copy, UT Martin will receive a $500,000 guarantee for the game.
The UT Martin-Alabama contract, executed on March 4, 2021, also cements a first-time gridiron meeting.
Alabama was previously scheduled to host UT Martin on Nov. 14, 2020, but that game was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Per an addendum to the original contract, the 2020 game has been canceled and the game in 2028 will be played under a new contract.
With the addition of these two games, Alabama has tentatively completed their non-conference schedule in 2025 and has three opponents set for 2028. Alabama’s 2025 slate also includes a game at Florida State on Aug. 30 and home tilts against ULM on Sept. 6 and Wisconsin on Sept. 13.
In 2028, Alabama is scheduled to host Ohio State on Sept. 9 and travel to play Oklahoma State on Sept. 23.
Both the Eastern Illinois and UT Martin contracts contain a “good faith” clause. The schools “…agree to discuss in good faith future dates for the game to be played” if circumstances arise in scheduling or conference realignment that make the game unable to be played in 2025.
With Oklahoma and Texas entering the SEC in 2025, the conference has been discussing their future football scheduling format. The conference is reportedly deciding between a 1-7 format (one permanent opponent and seven rotating opponents) and a 3-6 format (three permanent opponents and six rotating opponents).
Football Schedules
I’m surprised that these news weren’t about the 2023 schedule, which still has 2 empty spots left, the season opener and the November game, I have a feeling the opener will be a kickoff game against BYU which has an empty spot on the same date (September 2nd).
Also I hope Alabama announces a new P5 series soon (still hoping it’s Oregon)
First boo to Alabama for scheduling more FCS teams. If my kid was a recruit of medium college football ability I would not encourage him or her to sign with an FCS team that plays Alabama.
More important is why is there such horrible schedule imbalance across college football and even the SEC. with the schedule changes being discussed The Big 10, Big 12, ACC, PAC 12 and SEC should all play 9 or 8 game conference schedules, I really do not care 8 or 9 just they all be the same, they should either not play FCS teams or they should all play them, I vote for the power 5 not playing them. The number of out of conference games against other Power 5 should be the same across all conferences, I would like to see 2 games each year per power 5 team especially with an 8 game conference schedule.
Most of the SEC East plays an end of year game against an ACC team, the rest of the conference usually plays the Sun Belt. I would like all SEC teams to play a rival (or rotating rivals) near the end of the season)
Hopefully those steps would even up the number of home games each team in the Power 5 plays each year, but that should be even as well.
If those Power Five schools didn’t play FCS teams, those FCS schools wouldn’t be able to square their athletic budgets, many times. That’s the main reason those games are played. $560,000 seems like chicken feed money to Alabama, but to Eastern Illinois, that’s like winning a secondary lottery prize. There are very, very few FCS schools who don’t play those games and many others play multiples, if they can get them.
Tom –
Most years, most Power-5 athletic departments need to play a minimum of 7 home football games in order to secure sufficient revenue for their budgets. Most do this and some do not. That is not going to change (in fact that minimum number is likely to increase). So, there will be little relief coming on that front.
Four of the seven members of the SEC-East members play an end-of-year game against the ACC, and every other ten SEC school’s end-of-year game is against their traditional in-conference rival. (No Sun Belt opponents.) What I think you are referring is the insistency (and the fanbase’s acceptance) to play an FCS opponent in their second-to-last game. Scheduled earlier in the season… maybe OK, but at the end?
PS – Him or HER? Really?
Dittos, Tom,
I don’t agree with this added 12th Game to the 1-A (fbs) Schedules which was lobbied for by the Trust Five Conferences & rubber stamped by the puppet NCAA shadow governance Body. This Bylaw was put into effect for the 2006 Division 1-A (fbs) Season.
All knowledgeable Fans know the NCAA has less than Zero Authority over the CFP. The CFP’s official Corporate Entity = BCS, LLC. It’s run by the same Executive, Bill Hancock who was CEO of the BCS. He’s now & has been from the start the Executive Manager of the CFP.
I would love to see more inter Trust Five Conference scheduling @ the beginning, middle & end of the regular Season.
I looked up the 1-AA (fcs) National Championship Games for the last 30 Years. If You go to Wikpedia’s Entry about the Division 1 Football Championship you can document my claim yourself.
The 1-AA (fcs) Playoff Teams & those advancing to the Semifinals do not regularly schedule $$ Games VS 1-A (fbs) Opponents. $$ Game Opponents & consistently winning the 1-AA Championship Series have Zero Correlation. The consistently losing 1-AA (fcs) Programs schedule $$ Games over and over. They don’t improve @ 1-AA Levels & become consistent 24 Team Playoff Contenders.
IMO, (documented by the empirical Record of the Trust Five Conference Schools doing it) “such horrible schedule imbalance across college football & even the SEC.” = Intentional on the Sec, b10, Acc, p12, b12 Conferences Part.
Jason Groomes,
There is empirically Zero correlation between advancing through the 24 Team Playoff & winning the Division 1 FB Championship (fcs) & playing $$ Games VS 1-A (fbs) Teams.
I’ve looked it up on the Wikipedia Division 1 Football Championship Article. You can document this yourself.
The last 40 Years of 1-AA Championship Game Participants shows that your low information Statement “There are very, very few FCS Schools who don’t play these Games & many others play multiples, if they can get them.” = 95% False.
I agree that every 1-AA (fcs) Program needs funding.
The winning, consistent, strong 1-AA (fcs) Teams Don’t use your 1-A (fbs) Urban Legend Financial Myth Formula.
The consistently Losing School Programs Do,
Herr Todd Knaupp,
When or where did I say anything about FCS schools winning the FCS Championship or even mentioning the bracket, 24 teams or anything like that?
“There are very, very few FCS Schools who don’t play these Games & many others play multiples, if they can get them.” 95% false?
Of the 128 schools who play FCS football, 108 give out a maximum of 63 athletic scholarships, everyone except the Ivy League(8), the Pioneer League(11) and Georgetown. I won’t count Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State as they are transitioning to FBS.
Of those 106 schools, 95 are playing at least one game against a team from the FBS. Non-scholarship Davidson is playing a transitioner(Jacksonville State).
Of those 95, 22 are playing at least two FBS games.
And if you want to count the games against transitioners, of those 22, 7 are playing three FBS games, 1 is playing four.
I know plenty about FCS. So be a little more smug next time.
The solution is for the SEC to go to the 3-6 model with nine conference games, 3 OOC’s against at least one P5 and the rest G5. And here’s the key to the solution is adding a 13th game in week negative one and with some exceptions having it be against an FCS School. It makes it somewhat of an exhibition game, but let it count. As Appalachian State showed Michigan years ago, every game counts. The week negative one game could be against a major ooc and if it is, then that 13th game can be the next to last week like many SEC teams have done.
North Dakota State played a division FBS team many a year they’ve won the national championship for FCS and 1AA. AND THEY’VE WON THAT GAME QUITE OFTEN.
The comment that “1-AA (fcs) Playoff Teams & those advancing to the Semifinals do not regularly schedule $$ Games VS 1-A (fbs) Opponents” is patently false.
We are on a site now that easily disproves this comment. While I didn’t check every FCS school, all but one of those I did check had played at least three money games AT an FBS opponent over the last five or so years.
So the comment is just wrong.
An overwhelming majority of FCS schools play money games. They have to. And that goes from FCS playoff teams.
Thanks to Alabama and other Power 5’s for continuing their support of FCS teams and college football. Really not much difference in playing some FCS teams vs. a group of 5 or lower FBS team but FCS schools need the money more.
Steve,
Your last Sentence is true in the 1st Half & false in the 2nd Half.
A. Fcs Schools have 65 Scholarships, they can divide those into partial Scholarships. B. The fcs is governed by the NCAA unlike the fbs. C. Fcs Schools are not divided into Trust Five Conferences & dependent 5 Conferences. D. Fcs Schools choose their level of FB Investment, from 65 full Scholarships to divided Scholys. to Zero Scholarships. E. Fcs Schools can participate in the 24 Team Playoff or not, as the Ivy, SWAC, MEAC choose not to. The other 12 Conferences choose to participate. F. Fcs Stadiums can be all sizes, from very small: 2,200 to 62,000.
Fbs Dependent 5 Conferences have none of the flexibility illustrated in the above 6 Areas.
All 65 of ” a group of 5 or lower FBS team…” need the money more. They have to follow all the Rules the Trust Five Conferences do with None of the money even the “lower” Trust Five Schools have.
Wish they’d play the G5 teams. NIU is always looking for top tier opponents and we need the money too. Problem is we’re 1-0 bs Alabama all-time. No guaranteed win here.
It isn’t going to change, in fact, Notre Dame has scheduled an FCS team for the first time ever. The FCS schools need the money, the players, even though they know they’ll lose, are excited to play in a huge stadium. Why keep complaining. There are no pre-season college football games, but in many ways, these FCS/FBS games are just that for both schools. As a fan of FCS football, if it helps the FCS school pay some of its bills, I am okay with it. I don’t love it, but I’m okay with it.
And, each year, FCS schools beat FBS schools. I know Alabama isn’t going to lose to Eastern Illinois, but Holy Cross beat Connecticut last year, one of many FCS over FBS wins.
It’s all about buying an automatic win. If they want to help the FCS strugglers, the SEC should schedule one more conference team for a more competitive game. The money from this can then be donated to FCS teams of their choices who don’t have to come in to get shelled in a lop-sided, away game! Boring and unnecessary. Just write them a check from the proceeds of a game fans want to see since they’re so benevolent.
Steve-o,
Dittos!
“It’s all about buying an automatic win.” If they want to help the FCS strugglers, the SEC should schedule one more conference team for a more competitive game.” ” We just want to Hellp You…”, that’s an Urban Myth / Legend many Trust Five Fans tell themselves during those November Games VS fcs “strugglers”. Dittos to the rest of your Sentences as well.
Or maybe they could schedule NDSU and offer some intriguing notion to view that game…
Has nothing to do with the automatic win. It has everything to do with the added home game.
The money brought into these universities and towns with the home game, even if it’s not sold out, is huge.
The win, which isn’t guaranteed, is a bonus.
This is the correct answer.
No. it’s about an automatic win. With another SEC game replacing an automatic FCS win (except for Vanderbilt, btw another automatic SEC win), they would risk a loss. However, the two SEC schools playing a ninth conference game would make as much revenue with their TV contract. You don’t think ESPN would pay more for another SEC game? And every other year all SEC schools would at least get seven home games. Of course, they could get seven every year if they schedule all three non-conference games at home as they usually do. They’re pretty good at working scheduling to their advantage. Donate these newfound game proceeds to the FCS charities of their choices. Win-win-win, except for the team that loses another SEC game.
The mistake in your argument is that Alabama doesn’t decide to play eight or nine conference games, the SEC does. Alabama isn’t scheduling an automatic win INSTEAD of playing another SEC game, they are scheduling an automatic win because they have to schedule four non-conference games.
And let’s just be honest. Basically anyone Alabama schedules, be it P5 or G5, they are going to beat.
There is merit in what you are suggesting but I’m afraid it is about having the extra home game every season. You can scour the internet archives and fine lament after lament from AD’s and head coaches in the past, pleading to be allowed to have “that extra home game” to keep their communities and their athletic programs financially afloat. Playing intra-conference mandates, a balanced home-and-away sheet, making it impossible to address the need for an additional home game every year. Scheduling Power-5 opponents demands a home-and home exchange granting no relief. While Group of 5 scheduling can provide a 2-for-1 exchange, it would supply relief only once every 3 years. So, the only consistent solution to this is to buy (at a judicious price) an FCS game every year. Yes, the automatic win is nice but it is the extra home revenue that is driving it. And yes, you are correct that their media carriers would and do in the case of PAC-12 and Big Ten get better inventory with a 9 game intra-conference schedule but again the extra home game issue would be ignored. Note – Big Ten went to a 9-conference game with no FCS scheduling a few years ago. It did not work out. Because during certain seasons there was the lack of 7th home game, they reversed their decision and now allow for the purpose fulfilling the 7-home-game-request, FCS games.
I didn’t mention Alabama anywhere, I specifically mentioned the “SEC”. The entire conference can change this schedule to their advantage to play a ninth game. If you do want an example of advantageous non-conference scheduling, you can look at Alabama specifically last year. In addition to FCS Mercer at home winning 48-14, Bama padded their slate with home games against Southern Miss (3-9), 63-14 and New Mexico State (2-10), 59-3. Miami (7-5) isn’t what it used to be more than a decade ago, but the opener was in “neutral” Atlanta for a 44-13 win. The crowd was about 80% Bama. They still played seven home games with only four SEC teams. Schedules 7-8 home games every year. They haven’t played a non conf on another campus in about ten years. Hasn’t played a home and home since Penn State 2010-2011. Credit them with going to Texas this year, but similar to other early games in previous season, they’ll be facing an FBS school without an experienced QB. Have to admit, Saban knows what he’s doing in every aspect of the game.
All these Professionally researched Answers by KKelley, JGroomes, HeyArnold are “current financial Reality” that’s a true Point.
Unofficially opining for some other Amateur Fans, Followers of our CFB Teams on this Site is that an official Game VS a 1-AA Team with 63 Scholarships, codified in the Trust Five Schools NCAA Shadow / Sidekick / Flunkie / Henchmen 2006 Bylaw adding a 12th Game isn’t the Reason I watch, follow, root for, hope for & Remember that/those special Win(s) during football Season.
As a devoted Follower of Football & my Team I don’t want 2022 to be in the same course as 2006-2021 Formula Seasons.
I don’t want 2022 to be the same Trust Five Conference Traditions [Six before 2012] & The Outsiders Conferences from 1978-2005.
The Sec, b10, b12, Acc, p12 (defunct Big East) have set the lowest Bar.
Two individual Schools in 2021, Wake Forest & UNC, showed how it can easily be done.
Neither College has a diminished financial impact & IMO even more important socially intense, beneficial impact from scheduling each other as a nonconference Game. The Statewide (Regional) Effects & regular Season following is more intense than any 1-AA instate or outofstate Home Game Receipts the SEC gets. If / when you do your Research, IMO you will find the same = true for the b10, b12, p12.
Sure, you can’t be the Home Team every Year but every other Year.
You & your fellow Trust Five Conference Fellows can arrange a Home & Home with another regional Trust Five Foe to alternate with the preferred 7th home Game 2nd or 3rd most meaningful Rival you don’t officially play in your conference.
**I’m an amateur Researcher, I have limited time for this Avocation of FB Chat about Financials, NCAA bylaw / Rule changes, every 1-A & 1-AA Team I’m opining about & briefly, incompletely researching.
I was wrong about 1-AA (fcs) Winners not scheduling 1 $$ Game per Year in my earlier Post. I can be wrong. I’m Not going to stop, lightheartedly & civilly & Casually posting my Points / Opinions about the Sec, b10, b12, Acc, p12 & The Outsiders Conferences.
The dismissed, untouchable, irrelevant, 1-AA f Championship s Teams (in the Trust Five Conferences Eyes) will have a fantastic 5 Week Playoff Season. Each will do the best They can through the 11 Game regular Season to be included in the 24 Team Playoff excitement.
Surprised Alabama doesn’t schedule an in-state FCS school, like Alabama State or Samford. That would keep the payout money in-state and add maybe a little more local interest than Eastern Illinois or Tennessee-Martin.
I’m disappointed Alabama isn’t paying these schools more. I’m pretty sure Youngstown State got over a million from Ohio State the next time they play. I think the SEC should go to a 3-6 model in 4 pods here would be the pods.
Mid-South
Arkansas
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Missouri
Southeast
Alabama
Auburn
Florida
Georgia
Southwest
LSU
Oklahoma
Texas
Texas A&M
Upper South
Kentucky
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt