The Southern Jaguars and Alabama State Hornets will meet at Legion Field in 2026, the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) announced Monday.
Southern and Alabama State will square off at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., to open the 2026 season on Saturday, August 29.
“Our city continues to recruit premier sports and entertainment events,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. “We are thrilled to build on our relationship with the SWAC and look forward to hosting Alabama State University and Southern University as we offer another great HBCU experience for fans. I want to thank members of the Birmingham City Council for their continued partnership in providing high level sports and entertainment in the Magic City.”
The 2026 matchup between Southern and Alabama State will mark the 45th overall meeting between the two schools. The series began in 1932 and Southern currently owns a big advantage in the matchup, 30-13.
“Southern University and Alabama State University are extremely excited to partner with the City of Birmingham for the hosting of this marquee football game at historic Legion Field this upcoming football season,” said Southern Director of Athletics Roman Banks and Alabama State Vice President of Athletics Dr. Jason Cable. This match-up is slated to be nationally televised and should be a highly entertaining affair between two historic football programs.”
Alabama State will be the home team, while Southern will be designated visitor.
The 2026 season will be the first for Southern under new head coach Marshall Faulk. Alabama State enters the matchup in its fifth season under Eddie Robinson Jr., who is currently 30-16 at the school.
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Nice to see Legion Field hosting a HBCU game.
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