College football is a television show first and a sport second. The SEC just dropped the 2026 broadcast windows for Alabama, so go ahead and ruin your autumn wedding plans now.
The network suits love their “flex” options. Half of Bama’s conference slate is trapped in this purgatory, meaning kickoff times won’t be locked in until two weeks before the game. For the rest, we have actual timeframes. “Early” means 11 a.m. to noon Central. “Afternoon” lands between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. “Night” games kick off between 5 and 7 p.m.
Get ready for some late nights early on. South Carolina on September 26 and Georgia on October 10 are both locked into the night slot. If you hate waking up early, October 3 at Mississippi State and November 14 at Vanderbilt will test your patience with early kickoffs.
Then come the wildcards. The big-money matchups—Tennessee on October 17, Texas A&M on October 24, LSU on November 7, and the Iron Bowl against Auburn on November 28—are all flex games. You will wait on the networks to decide your fate.
The non-conference slate is mostly set. The Tide opens September 5 against East Carolina at 11 a.m. on ABC. A road trip to Kentucky on September 12 and a home clash with Florida State on September 19 both get the 2:30 p.m. ABC treatment. Chattanooga on November 21 is a 1 p.m. kickoff on SECN+.
Here is the full breakdown of the 2026 schedule:
Sept. 5: East Carolina (11 a.m., ABC)
Sept. 12: at Kentucky (2:30 p.m., ABC)
Sept. 19: Florida State (2:30 p.m., ABC)
Sept. 26: South Carolina (Night)
Oct. 3: at Mississippi State (Early)
Oct. 10: Georgia (Night)
Oct. 17: at Tennessee (Flex)
Oct. 24: Texas A&M (Flex)
Nov. 7: at LSU (Flex)
Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt (Early)
Nov. 21: Chattanooga (1 p.m., SECN+)
Nov. 28: Auburn (Flex)
