The North Alabama Lions are hitting the road this weekend after their season-opening victory against the Samford Bulldogs, but this week, the challenge is going to be just a little bit more significant.

Off to a 1-0 start after the 22-10 victory over Samford, the Lions will face an SEC opponent this week in the Arkansas Razorbacks on the road in Fayetteville at 3:15 p.m. CST.

Time to hit the dusty ol' pig trail this week 🛣️#RoarLions 🦁 pic.twitter.com/YKlOb8tinE

— North Alabama Football (@UNAFootball) August 31, 2026

While Brent Dearmon has been in charge of the UNA program since the 2023 season and is now going into year four, the Razorbacks are starting a new era with a new head coach — former Memphis head man Ryan Silverfield. In his first game in charge of an SEC squad, Silverfield will be facing a hungry Lions team.

Arkansas is not expected to be one of the stronger teams in the SEC, but undeniably, it is a tall order for the Lions to try to come in and put up some points to compete in the game.

After a ton of close defeats last year for the Lions, there is legitimate hope that the team is capable of a great year; however, this is certainly a different level of challenge this week. Fans will be hoping for an admirable showing against the Razorbacks before hitting the road next week to take on Southeastern Louisiana, then returning home the following week for Alcorn State.