The SEC on Monday announced kickoff times and TV broadcast information for its Week 8 conference schedule, including the annual Third Saturday in October rivalry between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Tennessee Volunteers.

The 108th edition of Alabama vs. Tennessee will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT on Oct. 18. The game will be televised on either ABC. Prime time kickoffs in the 6:30 p.m. time slot on ABC typically begin closer to 6:45 p.m. It will mark the fifth consecutive game that Alabama will appear on ABC.

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The Crimson Tide (4-1 overall, 2-0) are ranked No. 8 in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 poll following their 30-14 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Tennessee (4-1, 1-1) is ranked No. 12 and had a bye in Week 6. The Vols defeated Mississippi State, 41-34, in overtime on Sept. 27 in Starkville.

Alabama will be looking to extend its home winning streak against the Vols (4-1, 1-1) to 11 straight games over 20 years dating back to the 2005 season (the 2005 win was later vacated by the NCAA). Tennessee won last year’s matchup at Neyland Stadium, 24-17, and has won two of the last three games in the series.

Alabama leads the all-time head-to-head series vs. Tennessee, 60-39-8, and has won 16 of the past 18 meetings overall.

Why Alabama vs Tennessee football should never kick off in prime time

This is merely a personal opinion. While the 6:30 p.m. prime time game is ABC’s bread-and-butter now under the SEC’s new media rights deal with ESPN (which includes ABC), Alabama vs. Tennessee should be a permanent 2:30 p.m. CT start, regardless of both teams’ record.

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The stark contrast of colors between the Crimson Tide and Volunteers just pop at that time of day when the sun is shining down on either Bryant-Denny or Neyland, and later when the skies fade to dusk as the late-October days grow short and temperatures dip into the 60s.

For that and other reasons, the Third Saturday in October rivalry is one of the single most aesthetically pleasing games to watch every college football season. Alabama vs. Tennessee screams fall football in the Southeastern Conference, but especially between the hours of 2:30-6 p.m.

And besides, the game has historically been in the 2:30 time slot more often than not anyway.

Alabama football schedule 2025

Alabama will face the 14th-ranked Missouri Tigers (5-0, 1-0) this Saturday at 11 a.m. CT at Faurot Field in Columbia. The game will be televised on ABC. Coach Eli Drinkwitz’s Tigers are the third straight undefeated team that Alabama will face in as many games. The Tigers had a bye last week.

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All start times Central.

Sept. 6: vs. UL Monroe (W, 73-0)

Oct. 4: vs. Vanderbilt (W, 30-14)

Oct. 11: at Missouri, 11 a.m., ABC

Oct. 18: vs. Tennessee, 6:30 p.m., ABC

Oct. 25: at South Carolina, TBA

Nov. 8: vs. LSU, prime time

Nov. 22 vs. Eastern Illinois, 1 p.m., ESPN+

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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama football vs Tennessee kickoff time, TV channel announced