Albany State lands four games on ESPN+

Albany State football fans will have four opportunities to watch the Golden Rams on ESPN+ during the 2026 regular season as part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s 23-game television package announced Tuesday.

The Golden Rams’ first streamed appearance will come Sept. 26 when they host Kentucky State at Albany State Coliseum. Albany State returns to ESPN+ on Oct. 17 for a road matchup against Tuskegee before closing its regular-season television schedule with back-to-back appearances against defending SIAC champion Benedict on Oct. 24 and rival Fort Valley State on Nov. 7, both at home.

The Nov. 7 showdown with Fort Valley State serves as the annual Fountain City Classic, one of the SIAC’s premier rivalry games and one of several conference traditions featured in ESPN’s coverage this season.

The SIAC’s television schedule includes 23 games across ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN+, highlighted by the league championship game on Nov. 14, which will air nationally on ESPNU.

“Our relationship with ESPN remains steadfast as we continue our mission to enhance the visibility of our member institutions and the extraordinary student-athletes who represent them,” SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman said. “The 2026 season marks a new era of opportunity, and as we embark on our sixth year with ESPN, we eagerly anticipate an unforgettable season that will showcase the legacy, competitive fervor and resilience that define SIAC football.”

The conference schedule opens Aug. 30 when Tuskegee hosts West Alabama in the sixth annual Red Tails Classic on ESPN2 from Montgomery, Alabama. Tuskegee will also face Fort Valley State on ESPN2 on Sept. 5 in the fourth annual Port City Classic in Mobile, Alabama.

In addition to the Fountain City Classic, ESPN’s coverage will feature several marquee conference matchups and homecoming games throughout the season, including contests at Miles, Benedict and Clark Atlanta.

Albany State enters its first season under head coach David Bowser after finishing 7-3 overall and 6-2 in SIAC play in 2025. The Golden Rams open the 2026 campaign Aug. 29 at Florida A&M before hosting Johnson C. Smith in the Black College Hall of Fame Classic on Sept. 6 in Canton, Ohio.

The top two teams in the SIAC standings will meet Nov. 14 in the conference championship game, with the winner earning the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Albany State’s ESPN+ schedule

• Sept. 26: Kentucky State at Albany State
• Oct. 17: Albany State at Tuskegee
• Oct. 24: Benedict at Albany State
• Nov. 7: Fort Valley State at Albany State (Fountain City Classic)