LSU coach Lane Kiffin said he is sad that this season’s game against Alabama will be the last annual meeting between the two programs, after the SEC left the rivalry off each team’s list of three protected opponents under its new scheduling model. The No. 9 Crimson Tide visit No. 15 LSU on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Baton Rouge, a matchup that will mark the final scheduled edition of a series that has anchored each team’s fall for decades.
The announcement means Alabama and LSU are not guaranteed to meet on an annual basis going forward, since the SEC’s new format only locks in three protected games per school. Neither program selected the other as one of its three preserved rivalries, according to Sports Illustrated.
The Main Development
Kiffin’s frustration this week centered on more than the rivalry’s uncertain future. The SEC also set a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff for Saturday’s game, breaking from a run of six straight night games between the two schools in Baton Rouge. The last time Alabama and LSU did not play at night in that stadium was 2010.
“I never even considered that it wouldn’t be at night,” Kiffin said. “I just assumed, especially since the last 16 years, this game has been at night here all the time. I guess that’s probably naive of me.”
Kiffin also pointed to LSU’s ongoing dispute with the SEC over roster eligibility involving players Dae’Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris and RJ Luis Jr. when discussing the scheduling decision. “I was joking to [LSU SID Michael Bonnette] earlier, saying obviously the SEC wanted to change it from how it’s been to give LSU less of an advantage because of how well LSU plays at night and how intimidating it is to play here,” Kiffin said, according to CBS Sports. “I was like, ‘If someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what’s been going on, they must’ve just been on Mars the last four months.'”
What It Means For The LSU-Alabama Rivalry Game Ending
The daytime kickoff carries statistical weight for LSU. The Tigers are 1-6 in their last seven night home games against Alabama, a split that Kiffin suggested the SEC may have factored into its scheduling. Ole Miss, meanwhile, received the primetime window for its home game against Georgia this week.
With the rivalry no longer protected on the conference schedule, there is no confirmed date for when Alabama and LSU will meet again after this year’s game. The sources do not specify a future year or format for renewing the series.
Context And Series History
Alabama holds a 58-27-5 edge in the all-time series across 90 meetings, including a 13-2 record in the last 15 games. Of those past 15 matchups, 14 were played at night, underscoring how unusual Saturday’s afternoon slot is for this particular rivalry.
Both teams enter the finale with matching 6-2 records. Alabama sits at 4-2 in SEC play, while LSU is 3-2. This will be the first time Kiffin faces Alabama as LSU’s head coach, adding a personal layer to what is now billed as the last scheduled chapter of the rivalry.
What’s Next
Alabama and LSU kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Baton Rouge, with the game carrying added weight as the final annual meeting under the current SEC scheduling setup. LSU’s recent form includes wins detailed in Total Apex Sports’ coverage of the LSU vs.
Kentucky matchup and the LSU vs. Auburn game earlier this season, while the Tigers’ defensive questions were a focus in the LSU vs. McNeese preview.
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