The Alabama State Hornets are the college football team representing the Alabama State University. The Hornets play in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
ASU Stadium serves as the facility for Alabama State football games and practices. The 120-yard field turf playing field provides training to ASU football in all weather conditions. In June 2011, construction on the Houston Markham Football Complex was completed. The two-story, 30,000-square-foot facility serves as the new home of the football program.
Contents
Conference affiliations
Independent (1901–1912)
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1913–1975)
NCAA Division II independent (1976–1981)
Southwestern Athletic Conference (1982–present)
Championships
National
Alabama State has won one national championship.
Conference
Alabama State has won six conference championships.
Rivalries
The Magic City Classic is the highest attended and most anticipated regular season ASU football game every year. The Hornets take on in-state rival Alabama A&M Bulldogs in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Turkey Day Classic is an annual event played yearly on Thanksgiving between ASU and another opponent, most recently Prairie View A&M in 2019 and has been played almost consecutively since 1924, except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alumni in the NFL
Over 20 Alabama State alumni have played in the NFL, including:
Reggie Barlow
Keenan Issac
Brad Baxter
Earl Cochran
Michael Coe
Isaiah Crowell
Tytus Howard
Johnny Huggins
Tarvaris Jackson
Greg Jenkins
Bill Johnson
Terren Jones
Zefross Moss
Eddie Robinson
Tyrone Rogers
Ricky Smith
Jylan Ware
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of February 1, 2026