Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Central Time, and tickets are now available for the highly anticipated Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Southern University will open the 2026 football season under the direction of a new head coach when the Jaguars face Alabama State on Saturday, Aug. 29, at Legion Field. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Central Time, and tickets are now available for the highly anticipated Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup. The Hornets enter the season with championship aspirations after coming within one game of reaching the SWAC Championship Game last season. Southern and Alabama State are members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, one of the nation's prominent conferences for historically Black colleges and universities.