MACON, Ga. — Mercer University has reached an agreement to play defending National Champion Alabama at historic Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2017 and 2021, the school said. The scheduled dates and kick-off times are yet to be determined.
“We are excited to add one of the elite college football programs to our schedule in 2017 and 2021,” said head coach Bobby Lamb. “This will be a great opportunity to test ourselves against a championship program in one of the most storied gameday environments in the country.”
Mercer and Alabama have met two times previously on the gridiron with the Crimson Tide claiming both of those match-ups. The series resumes in 2017 after what will be a 77-year hiatus, as the two programs last squared off during the 1940 campaign in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The 2017 matchup against the Crimson Tide will be the Bears’ second contest against an SEC power that season, as they are scheduled to take on Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium earlier in the year.
Mercer will embark on its third season as a member of the Southern Conference in 2016, just four years after reintroducing its football program. The Bears, who knocked off No. 3 Chattanooga last year for their first win over a Top 5 opponent, are set to return all 11 starters on offense and 10 starters on defense for the 2016 season.
