North Alabama’s season opener against Samford in Huntsville, Alabama, is being treated as more than just the first game of the year. For Brent Dearmon, it is the immediate focus before next week’s trip to Arkansas, and he has made it clear that his team cannot afford to look beyond the in-state meeting. The matchup comes at the start of a rebuild that also includes a new on-campus stadium and a large transfer influx, so the stakes feel bigger than a normal opener.
The Lions were an 8.5-point favorite on Tuesday according to FanDuel, but Dearmon’s message was not about the spread. It was about handling the game in front of them. North Alabama finished 2-10 last season and enters a 4th season under Dearmon after an 8-27 record across that span, while the opponent in front of them offered the kind of early-season measuring stick the coach wanted.
Dearmon keeps the focus on Samford
On Monday, Dearmon said the team’s attention was on Samford and not Arkansas, and his reasoning was straightforward. “We play an FCS in-state opponent and we’ve got to win that game for bragging rights,” he said. “For our program, that’s a huge game for us.”
That is the right starting point for North Alabama. The game against Arkansas, the Razorbacks’ season opener, is a bigger-name challenge, but it is also next week. Right now, the Lions are dealing with an FCS opponent that can tell them plenty about where they stand. Dearmon put it plainly: “The week after that we play the Arkansas Razorbacks, an SEC opponent, but right now we have an in-state FCS opponent in front of us in Samford, so that is where all of our attention is.”
That is the kind of approach that keeps a rebuild grounded. North Alabama may be heading toward a more visible stage, but the current task is still about habits, discipline and being ready for the first kickoff.
Why this opener matters to the program
The broader context makes the night in Huntsville even more significant. North Alabama was a Division II program just eight years ago, and Dearmon said the direction of the program is reflected in what is happening now. “For our program that was a [Division II] program just eight years ago, to already be playing an SEC opponent, I think that just speaks volumes to the direction this program is heading, with all of those things going on right now,” he said.
There is also the stadium factor. North Alabama is scheduled to open Bank Independent Stadium on Sept. 19 by hosting Alcorn State, and Dearmon said the new home will bring an added layer of energy. “Now for the first time in school history, we’re going to open a brand new on-campus stadium,” he said. “We’ll have tailgating on campus for the first time in history, so it’s exciting times here for sure.”
That excitement is part of the story, but Dearmon also understands the practical value of winning now. “That’s going to help with with our fan base, that’s going to help us with keeping this excitement rolling and that’s going to help us with gauging where our team is at right now,” he said. “That creates excitement for your fan base.”
He also pointed back to the difference between the old set-up and the new one. North Alabama had played in Braly Stadium in Florence, a city stadium with no UNA logos and no real home feel. Dearmon said it was a “seven-, eight-minute drive on game days” and added, “We never got to practice there, so it wasn’t ours.”
That is why this moment matters. The program has moved from borrowed surroundings to a bigger identity, with more than 10,000 expected to notice what comes next and a $60 million project built over the last two years helping to frame the future. The Samford game is the first real snapshot of that future, and after it comes Arkansas, where the level rises again.
For now, the message is simple: North Alabama have to handle Samford first. If they do that, the momentum around the program can keep building before the tougher challenge in Fayetteville and before the new stadium opens later in the month.
