Marshall Football’s out-of-conference match ups are set for the 2027 season, and the team will start against a mighty opponent.
The Herd will open its 2027 season at Bryant-Denny Stadium against the University of Alabama Crimson Tide Sept. 4, 2027. It will be the first ever football matchup between Marshall and Alabama.
“We are excited for the opportunity to play the University of Alabama at Bryant Denny Stadium on Nick Saban Field,” Marshall Athletic Director Gerald Harrison said in a press release. “Both Alabama and Marshall have proud traditions and rich histories, and it’s always special for our student-athletes and fans to experience a venue that represents the best of college football. Our program embraces these kinds of challenges, and I know Herd Nation will be there in full force to support our team.”
“If you have the chance to come down, you’ll never forget it,” Tuscaloosa Mayor Wilt Maddox said. “It’s an amazing experience here in Tuscaloosa. We take our football almost religiously here. The fan base is kind, even though we lost Oklahoma (a few weeks ago,) I’ve gotten so many notes from Oklahoma fans about how great and gracious our fans were. We just love college football; we love being at the elite level of college football, and we’d love to show it off to you.”
The Alabama Crimson Tide is a member of the Southeastern Conference and are home to 18 claimed national titles and 30 SEC titles. Alabama is currently being led by head coach Kelen DeBoer, who is in his second season with the Crimson Tide and has a current record of 19-6.
Marshall and Alabama have a football bond that goes beyond just what happens on the field.
Four members of the 1970 Marshall Football team that died in the Nov. 14, 1970, plane crash were from Tuscaloosa, and the city of Tuscaloosa held a memorial ceremony for the “Marshall Four:” Joe Hood, Freddy Wilson, Larry Sanders and Robert VanHorn, this past month, honoring them with bronze statues in front of the rebuilt Benjamin Barnes YMCA in Tuscaloosa, where they grew up.
Marshall is no stranger to facing strong opponents. With the past few seasons, Marshall has faced another SEC opponent, the University of Georgia Bulldogs, to start the 2025 season, the Big 10 powerhouse The Ohio State University Buckeyes to start the 2024 season and during the 2022 season, upsetting the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Marshall also has scheduled Big 10 opponents Penn State University Nittany Lions and the University of Wisconsin Badgers to start the 2026 and 2028 seasons, respectfully.
Nate Harrah can be contacted at [email protected].
