Auburn football adds North Alabama to 2028 slate

Auburn football is not a program to back down from playing an in-state foe in a non-conference setting. That quality will continue in 2028 as the Tigers will welcome the North Alabama Lions to Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The University of North Alabama broke the news Monday that the Tigers and Lions will square off for the first time in history on Sept. 9, 2028, at Jordan-Hare Stadium. North Alabama Athletics Director Dr. Josh Looney says that a game of this magnitude has been on their radar since joining the FCS ranks in 2019.

“Aligning a future matchup with an in-state SEC opponent has been a scheduling priority for our football program,” Looney said in a press release. “This will be an incredible experience for our University, fans and alumni. Our coaching staff is closely connected to the Auburn program. We appreciate athletic director John Cohen and head coach Hugh Freeze for the invitation to visit Jordan-Hare Stadium.”

Although it is not guaranteed that North Alabama’s staff will not be together for the 2028 game, but three coaches with Auburn ties are currently on the payroll. Former linebacker Deshaun Davis serves as linebackers coach for the Lions while former running back Kerryon Johnson is North Alabama’s Director of Player Development. Lions head coach Brent Dearmon was an analyst under Gus Malzahn during the 2013 and 2014 seasons at Auburn.

North Alabama becomes the first known opponent to grace Auburn’s 2028 schedule. Over the next five seasons, Auburn will face four in-state foes beginning Saturday with Alabama A&M. The Tigers will also host South Alabama (2025), Jax State (2026), and now North Alabama (2028).

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