FLORENCE, Ala. (November 21, 2025) – The University of North Alabama football team will grace the turf of historic Braly Stadium one last time on Saturday, as the Lions end a long and storied era against Southern Utah with a 1 p.m. kickoff.
In 2026, the Lions will move on campus with the construction of Bobby Wallace Field at Bank Independent Stadium. This will end a 77-year run at Braly, which has been home to North Alabama Football since 1949.
UNA will also welcome back players from the 1990s era on Saturday, celebrating the
30-year anniversary of the 1995 NCAA Division II National Championship. The Lions became the first college football team in NCAA scholarship football history to win three consecutive national championships in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
For a list of "things to know" for Saturday's game,
click here.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
North Alabama vs. Southern Utah
Date: Saturday, November 22
Time: 1 p.m. CT
Location: Florence, Alabama
Stadium: Braly Stadium
Capacity: 14,215
TV: ESPN+ ("Voice of the Lions"
Benjamin Ray, Bryan Neece, Arielle Schafer)
Radio: Roar Lions Productions (Jordan Campbell, Jacob Tucker,
Chase Glover)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Click Here
Social Media:
@UNAFootball
UNA Game Notes |
Opponent Preview |
UAC Notes
NOTES
ABOUT THE LIONS: North Alabama has not had the season it had hoped for, currently 2-9 this season with a 1-6 record in the United Athletic Conference. However, UNA will look to end on a high-note, as a win would be the first in a regular season finale since 2021. The last time UNA won a home finale was in 2019. Both previous wins came at Braly Stadium with a 49-21 win over Northeastern State and a 35-14 homecoming win over EKU.
ABOUT THE THUNDERBIRDS: Southern Utah is on quite a hot streak entering Saturday, winning five straight with sights on an FCS playoff berth. The Thunderbirds have a 6-5 record and a 5-2 record in league play, including a 31-24 win over No. 13 Abilene Christian and a 33-17 win over No. 22 Austin Peay. The only road wins for SUU this season are against Utah Tech and EKU. The T-Birds have a stud running back on the offensive side, redshirt sophomore Joshua Dye. Through 11 games, Dye has racked up 1,723 rushing yards on 272 carries—averaging more than 6 yards per attempt and 156.6 yards per game—and his 25 rushing touchdowns lead all of Division I.
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the third all-time meeting. UNA won the first meeting in 2018 by a 34-30 final in Cedar City. Southern Utah leveled the series last season with a 38-26 win. This will be SUU's first trip to Braly Stadium.
ALPHA AND OMEGA: As one era ends with Southern Utah, another one started with the same opponent in 2018. The Lions played their very first game as an FCS member in Cedar City, Utah and earned their first Division I win with a 34-30 victory. SUU was the defending Big Sky Champions and had a 30-27 lead in the final two minutes. However, UNA scored with 12 seconds to go on a touchdown pass from Christian Lopez to Dexter Boykin. UNA was named the FCS National Team of the Week for this performance.
ONE LAST TIME IN BRALY: The Lions have a 281-134-8 record inside Braly Stadium since 1949. This will make Saturday the 424th time the Lions suit up in this historic venue.
MORE BRALY HISTORY: Braly Municipal Stadium has been home football facility of
the University of North Alabama has been since the rebirth of the Lions' football program in 1949. Braly Stadium has been the site of numerous University of North Alabama football victories and served as host for 34 of UNA's 53 all-time NCAA playoff games. Additionally, from 1986 to 2013 Braly Municipal Stadium hosted the NCAA Division II Football Championship Game as well. Since the Division II title game was created in 1972, no city had served as the host for more than five years until the Shoals area and Braly Stadium did it for 28 straight years. It is the second longest continuous period that any site had hosted any NCAA championship in any sport on any level.
LAST TIME OUT: UNA suffered a 61-0 loss to No. 5 Tarleton State last week. The Texans improved to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in the UAC and are still alive for a regular season championship with a matchup against another playoff contender — Austin Peay — looming this week.
ON THE RECORD: Junior punter
Adam Watford is a viable candidate for FCS Punter of the Year, ranking fourth in FCS with a 47.1 punting average. He recently broke two school records, including the career record for most 50-yard punts with 36 — a record held by Tony Faggioni from 1993-96. Watford also broke Joe Gurley's FCS single-season school record for most 50 yard punts that was set in 2019. Watford currently had 21 this season.
BIG BOOMERS: There have been 23 punts of over 70 yards in FCS this season.
Adam Watford has three of those with the 9th and 13th longest, including a 74 yarder against Central Arkansas and two 72 yarders against Utah Tech and Tarleton State. He is the only punter in the nation with three 70-yard punts.
TWO 100-YARD RUSHERS: Destin Wade and Juice Allen both rushed for over 100 yards against Utah Tech, marking the first time UNA has had a pair of 100-yard rushers in a game since 2017. The last pair to do that was Nick Taylor and Dre Hall against Mississippi College.
BAND OF BROTHERS: Christian Burkhalter and
Bishop Burkhalter are one of the few sibling sets in FCS football. Against Central Arkansas, the Burkhalter brothers were both credited with a tackle on the same play. There are no other FCS teams to have siblings record a stat on the same play this season.
UAC ROUNDUP: The Lions and T-Birds will kick off an exciting slate of UAC games, as four teams from the conference compete to potentially extend their seasons. Southern Utah is one of those teams, as the Lions look to play spoiler at 1 p.m. No. 5 Tarleton State — who has all but solidified a spot in the playoffs — will host an at-large contender in Austin Peay at 4 p.m. No. 17 Abilene Christian will look to win a regular season championship at Central Arkansas at 4 p.m., while EKU and Utah Tech close their seasons at 3 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
