UAB, Samford football set to play in 2026, 2027 at Protective Stadium
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - UAB and Samford are set to play one another on the gridiron in 2026 and 2027, the two universities announced Thursday.
The Blazers and Bulldogs will play both games at UAB’s Protective Stadium for just the second and third matchups ever between the two teams. Samford defeated UAB in the only ever matchup between the two teams 49-3 in 1992 when UAB was still a DIII program.
The two teams will first play each other Oct. 3, 2026 and then again Sept. 25, 2027.
In addition to their games vs. Samford, UAB also announced Thursday that they will kickoff their 2026 season on the road at Illinois Sept. 5. UAB says their original kickoff game vs. Alabama A&M, that was scheduled for Sept. 3, 2026, will no longer be played.
The Blazers game at Illinois will mark their first time playing a Big Ten team since 2010 when they played at Ohio State.
The announcement between UAB and Samford playing football in ‘26, ‘27 is the second joint announcement that the two schools have made within the last week.
Last week, on Nov. 5, the universities announced a men’s basketball three-game cross-town home and home series that is set to be played in the ‘26-’27, ‘27-’28, and ‘28-’29 seasons.
The 2026 and 2027 football schedules for UAB, which are yet to be finalized, are below.
Samford’s 2026 schedule has not yet been announced.
2026
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Sept. 5 | @ Illinois |
| Sept. 12 | Louisiana-Monroe |
| Sept. 19 | @ Louisiana |
| Oct. 3 | Samford |
| TBD | Charlotte |
| TBD | East Carolina |
| TBD | Navy |
| TBD | UTSA |
| TBD | @ Memphis |
| TBD | @ North Texas |
| TBD | @ South Florida |
| TBD | @ Temple |
2027
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Sept. 11 | Jacksonville State |
| Sept. 18 | @ Georgia State |
| Sept. 25 | Samford |
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