Week 0 closes out Sunday night in Montgomery. West Alabama and Tuskegee open their seasons against each other in the sixth annual Red Tails Classic at Cramton Bowl, and for the first time in the event’s history both teams come from inside Alabama.
It’s a Division II game with a national television window, which is not a combination that comes along often.
| Matchup | West Alabama Tigers vs. Tuskegee Golden Tigers |
| Date | Sunday, August 30, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT |
| TV | ESPN2 |
| Streaming | ESPN App (ESPN Unlimited), plus any service carrying ESPN2 |
| Announcers | Jason Ross Jr. and Tyoka Jackson |
| Venue | Cramton Bowl, downtown Montgomery |
| Level | NCAA Division II — season opener for both |
Kickoff by time zone
| Eastern | Central | Mountain | Arizona | Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
The two teams
| West Alabama | Tuskegee | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 record | 5-4 | 4-7 |
| Head coach | Scott Cochran (3rd season) | — |
| Recent form | 14-6 over two years under Cochran, including a 2024 D-II playoff berth | Beat Winston-Salem State 20-17 in last year’s Red Tails Classic |
| Offense under current staff | 32.5 points and 193.9 rushing yards per game | — |
| Red Tails Classic history | First appearance | Sixth consecutive appearance |
What to Watch For
West Alabama arrives as the more settled program. Scott Cochran — long known as Alabama’s strength coach under Nick Saban before moving into coordinator and head-coaching roles — has gone 14-6 across two seasons in Livingston, with a Division II playoff appearance in 2024 and an offense built around the run at nearly 194 rushing yards a game. A 5-4 finish in 2025 was a step back from that playoff year, and the Tigers open with a chance to reset on national TV.
Tuskegee is the constant here. The Golden Tigers have played in all six Red Tails Classics and won last year’s on a second-half surge, scoring on all three of their possessions after halftime to beat Winston-Salem State 20-17. A 4-7 2025 season means they need a better start than that one. West Alabama becomes the seventh different in-state program to appear in an ESPN event at Cramton Bowl. For the background on the event itself, see our explainer on what the Red Tails Classic is, and the official site is at montgomerykickoffgames.com.
The Bottom Line
Kickoff is 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) Sunday from Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, on ESPN2 with Jason Ross Jr. and Tyoka Jackson calling it. It’s the last game of Week 0 and the first Red Tails Classic between two Alabama schools. West Alabama has the better recent track record; Tuskegee has played in this game five times before and knows the building.