The Alabama Crimson Tide and West Virginia Mountaineers have canceled their future home-and-home football series, both schools announced Tuesday.
Alabama and West Virginia were previously scheduled to begin a home-and-home series at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, W.Va., on Sept. 5, 2026. The series was set to conclude at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Sept. 4, 2027.
The series was canceled following the SEC’s announcement last week that it will begin playing a nine-game conference schedule in 2026.
“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.”
Alabama has future series scheduled against Arizona, Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, and Virginia Tech.
The Crimson Tide have already moved to replace the canceled West Virginia game in 2026. Alabama will now host the East Carolina Pirates on Sept. 5 that season.
“This scheduling philosophy has proven to be successful across college football. It aligns our football program with its competition in terms of potential postseason opportunities and advancement,” WVU Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. “I am also aware of the importance of a seventh home game in 2027 for our fans and the huge economic impact it brings to our state, city and tourism division,” Baker added. “Visitors coming to West Virginia are not only critical for state tourism, but also to our local economy.”
West Virginia has replaced the Alabama series with a couple of home games. The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers will visit Morgantown on Sept. 5, 2026, and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles will make the trek on Sept. 4, 2027.
Football Schedules
Boooo! Saw that coming, but would have enjoyed seeing the Mountaineers test their mettle against an elite team like Alabama.
Yeah, this will be more contagious than COVID given the SEC’s move to nine games.
I would like to have seen ‘Bama and WVU postpone the series instead of cancel, even if that meant pushing it out a decade.
Same here. Pitiful OOC schedule the next 7 years, except for Tennessee at Charlotte in 2028. Virginia doesn’t move the needle for me.
Not a positive development. This would have been a nice series. Now these schools will play lesser opponents.
Alabama needs that extra home game to make-up for the loss of one in either ’26 or ’27 – them playing six P4 roadies would’ve been a big ask and major loss of revenue
Alabama making room for Big Ten opponent.
Hardly
Your dreaming. Better start worrying about your precious thanksgiving weekend games getting axed, but you wanted this.
Illininoles97
I am fully flexible about SEC Thanksgiving weekend future & I have zero concerns over it
First Proposal
Georgia-Georgia Tech
Kentucky-Louisville
Florida-Florida State
South Carolina-Clemson
Missouri-Oklahoma
Texas A&M-Texas
Auburn-Alabama
LSU-Arkansas
Tennessee-Vanderbilt
Mississippi State-Ole Miss
Second Proposal
Should SEC go all conference
Georgia-South Carolina
Missouri-Kentucky
Florida-LSU
Arkansas-Oklahoma
Texas A&M-Texas
Auburn-Alabama
Tennessee-Vanderbilt
Mississippi State-Ole Miss
In the future, most of the best OOC games will be played in the postseason.
Especially once the CFP expands to 24-28 teams.
But with the first 2 rounds played on campus, many folks will still be able to see some top teams visit campus to play their home team.
because the sec is going to 9 games dropping this game makes no sense alabama wanted a smaller school to play plain & simple that is out of conference play
People wanted the SEC to play nine conference games.
This was the foreseen challenge.
Reap what you sow.
Bingo – it was always for the folks bad at math.
Well, I have to give credit to Bama for not replacing the 2026 WV game with an FCS opponent…although they have no OOC road games….just weak.
WVU already has an FCS opponent on its 2026 schedule — UT Martin.
Please keep the CFP at 12. Did people forget that 11 of the 12 games were not competitive. The only game with bonafide drama was Notre Dame and Penn State
Don’t tell me the CFP Championship Game was competitive. Ohio State was NEVER in peril, not for a second.
Walk before you can run.
Alabama continues to Alabama and play to the system that brings them the best opportunity to reach the CFP, which is why they always play a weak schedule. 8 conference games, 1 Power 4 at a neutral site, and 3 terrible teams. Then they had the gaul to say they wanted 9 games when we all know they didn’t want them. So now that they are forced to play 9 conference games, they immediately cut other P4 games. They must get those (now 2) easy wins.
“play to the system that brings them the best opportunity to reach the CFP”
Would you say the same for Indiana? Nine conference games and no power non-conference opponents. Penn State? They play Nevada, FIU, and Villanova. Both gaming the system also.
All FBS teams should play the same amount of Home and Away games. Just do the 6 H, 6 A. It will allow for money to be spread equally rather than this unequal, silly format of “we get to make our own schedules and make it easier for us.”
So basically the NFL. 136 schools, some private, spread across nearly 50 states would never share money equally.