The 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide football season begins on Aug. 31 at home in Bryant-Denny Stadium against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Along with a new season beginning, a new era of Alabama football gets underway, as well, with Kalen DeBoer taking over as head coach for the now-retired Nick Saban.
Alabama has had a string of tough opponents in Week 1, which often takes place in neutral sites against ranked teams. However, in recent seasons, the Tide has taken on non-conference, un-ranked opponents at home.
In 2024, Western Kentucky will be the first team tasked with taking on a new-look Crimson Tide program. This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams and the Hilltoppers are still searching for win No. 1 in the all-time series.
The first time the Tide and Hilltoppers met was in 2008, when Saban’s second Alabama team earned a dominant 41-7 win.
Then, in the memorable 2012 season, Saban once again got the best of Western Kentucky, defeating the Willie Taggart-led team in shutout fashion, 35-0.
The most recent meeting came in 2016, when Alabama, en route to a national championship appearance, got the win with a final score of 38-10.
To sum up the relatively short series, it’s an offensive spectacle for the Crimson Tide, paired with strong defensive performances, leading to a high-scoring affair for Alabama, and a fight to reach the end zone for the Hilltoppers.
This game will have many fans from across the nation tuned in on Aug. 31, not because of it being a primetime matchup between two College Football Playoff hopefuls, but because it will be the first time in nearly two decades that Nick Saban won’t be on the sidelines for the Crimson Tide to start the season.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason progresses.
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