The Southeastern Conference on Monday confirmed that the Alabama Crimson Tide will host the South Carolina Gamecocks at 6 p.m. Central on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN, and it will serve as Alabama’s first night contest of the 2026 season.
Television, timing and context
The announced start time finalizes a slot that had been labeled a prime-time matchup in the SEC’s early-season rollout. With the 6 p.m. CT kickoff, local viewers can find the game on ESPN while fans planning to attend at Bryant-Denny should note an evening arrival time.
Alabama enters the Week 4 game 2-0 after a 45-17 victory over Kentucky; South Carolina is also 2-0 following a 45-9 win over Towson. In national polls this week, the Crimson Tide sit at No. 10 in both the AP Top 25 and the US LBM Coaches Poll; the Gamecocks are unranked.
Recent meetings and competitive history
This will be the third straight regular-season meeting between Alabama and South Carolina — the first such stretch since the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1992. The Tide won both prior meetings, but neither result was lopsided. Last season’s trip to Williams-Brice Stadium featured an 11-point comeback in the closing minutes, and a 2024 game in Tuscaloosa was decided in the final seconds after a Gamecock end-zone interception attempt was returned for a Tide score.
Those recent finishes underscore how the matchup has often tightened late, even when Alabama ultimately came away with the victory. The 6 p.m. kickoff shifts the atmosphere toward a prime-time crowd and could amplify the home-field advantage if late-game drama repeats.
Schedule snapshot: Week 4 SEC slate (all times Central)
| Matchup | Kickoff | Network |
|---|---|---|
| Texas at Tennessee | 11:00 a.m. | ABC |
| South Alabama at Kentucky | 11:45 a.m. | SEC Network |
| Ole Miss at Florida | 2:30 p.m. | ABC/ESPN |
| Oklahoma at Georgia | 2:30 p.m. | ABC/ESPN |
| Vanderbilt at Auburn | 3:15 p.m. | SEC Network |
| South Carolina at Alabama | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Texas A&M at LSU | 6:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Missouri at Mississippi State | 6:45 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Tulsa at Arkansas | 7:00 p.m. | SEC Network+ |
What fans should know
- Ticket holders: expect evening traffic and stadium procedures associated with a night game; check the University of Alabama Athletics site for parking and entry updates before game day.
- Television viewers: the game will be available on ESPN nationally; check local listings for channel assignments and possible pregame coverage.
- Team momentum: Alabama comes off a decisive win over Kentucky and will be looking to maintain early-season ranking momentum; South Carolina has posted two opening victories and seeks to upset the Tide in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama’s full 2026 schedule includes nonconference matchups against East Carolina and Florida State before the South Carolina game. Following the Gamecocks, the Tide’s SEC slate includes contests against Mississippi State, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M, among others.
The SEC’s official scheduling update brings certainty for planners on both sides: families and students arranging travel, local businesses preparing for gameday commerce, and alumni watching from around the country. With a prime-time national broadcast, the Sept. 26 game figures to draw a large audience and will be an early litmus test for both programs as they approach the heart of conference play.
Further updates on kickoff-related logistics, broadcast programming and team status reports typically follow as game week approaches; fans should monitor official Alabama Athletics and SEC communications for the latest information.
