CHARLESTON, S.C. – The defending Southern Conference champion Citadel football team will conclude its 2018 regular season at defending national champion Alabama, it was announced Tuesday.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for our program," head coach Brent Thompson said. "These games are important for many reasons, and they allow us to provide our cadet-athletes with once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I'm excited that our team will have the experience of playing in front of more than 100,000 fans against one of the premier teams in college football."

The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide will meet for the first time in their storied histories on Nov. 17, 2018, inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. With FBS games scheduled at North Carolina in 2016 and at Clemson in 2017, the game will mark The Citadel's first against an SEC opponent since its 23-22 win at South Carolina on Nov. 21, 2015.

With the addition of Alabama, the Bulldogs will have played 12 of the 14 current SEC teams, missing only Mississippi State and Missouri. The Citadel, which has wins over Arkansas, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, is the only Southern Conference team with multiple victories over opponents who were in the SEC at the time of the game.

Since the NCAA split Division I football into subdivisions in 1978, current FCS programs have seven total victories over current SEC teams, and The Citadel has earned four of those seven wins. The Bulldogs are 11-75-4 all-time against current members of the SEC.

The Citadel's 2016 season opens with two straight SoCon games, beginning at Mercer on Sept. 1 before the home opener Sept. 10 against Furman, which also is the Bulldogs' Military Appreciation game. Season tickets are on sale now, and all fans who purchase at least two season tickets prior to May 6 will receive a commemorative replica 2015 Southern Conference champions ring. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit CitadelSports.com/tickets or call The Citadel Athletic Ticket Office at 843-953-DOGS (3647).

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