The Southern Miss Golden Eagles have added the North Alabama Lions to their 2020 football schedule, the school announced on Tuesday.
Southern Miss will host North Alabama at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Nov. 7, 2020. The game will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.
Southern Miss was previously scheduled to host Tennessee Tech in 2020, but the contest was canceled when the Ohio Valley Conference opted out of the fall season due to the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The addition of North Alabama gives Southern Miss a full slate of 12 games again. The Golden Eagles were previously set to open Conference USA play at home on Sept. 12 against Louisiana Tech, but that contest was pushed back one week to Sept. 19.
“We are excited to get back to a full schedule and a seventh home game, as we continue to push forward cautiously,” said Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain. “Our situation is ever-changing, but we will continue to make decisions with the safety and welfare of our student-athletes, coaches, and fans in mind.”
North Alabama is a member of the Big South Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Lions are hoping to play a four-game non-conference schedule this fall, and they currently have four games scheduled.
The Lions are currently scheduled to open the season at Western Illinois on Thursday, Sept. 3, although the status of that contest could change. North Alabama is also slated to host Jacksonville State on Sept. 12 and play at BYU on Nov. 21.
Football Schedules