Alabama gets credit for scheduling premier opponents on neutral fields at the beginning of seasons, but they also load up on their share of cupcakes just like most power conference programs do. In 2017 and 2021, that slot on the schedule, which will likely serve as a walk-through week leading up to the annual Iron Bowl against Auburn, will be filled by relative college football infant Mercer.
Mercer, located in Macon, Georgia, announced the addition of future games against Alabama in 2017 and 2021 today, noting the exact dates have not been confirmed. This season will mark Mercer’s fourth season as a football program brought back from the dead, after being idle from 1942 through 2012. The Southern Conference program will have Alabama as its second SEC opponent in 2017. Mercer will face Auburn earlier in the season (Sep. 16, 2017). Mercer will face its first FBS opponent since bringing its program back this season when it faces Georgia Tech on Sep. 10.
“We are excited to add one of the elite college football programs to our schedule in 2017 and 2021,” said head coach Bobby Lamb (an ironic name seeing as Mercer will essentially be a sacrificial lamb for Alabama). “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 twice before, with the most recent meeting being played in 1940. Alabama owns a 2-0 series lead.
The SEC requires its members to schedule one game per year against another power conference opponent. Obviously, the addition of Mercer does not satisfy that requirement, nor does the SEC scheduling policy prohibit its members from adding FCS programs to the schedule the way the Big Ten will. It should be noted, however, Alabama already has their power conference game locked in for 2017 with a contest against Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta in week one, and it is likely the Crimson Tide will add another neutral field game against a power conference foe in 2021 to keep this scheduling trend (big paydays) going for the program. Alabama also faces Fresno State and Colorado State that September. Mercer will all but be guaranteed to be added to the schedule the week before playing Auburn, which traditionally is the last game of the regular season for each. That would add Mercer to Alabama’s 2017 schedule on Nov. 18.
Helmet sticker to the always resourceful FBSchedules.com.
