MICHIGAN ALABAMA
Alabama played in the 2012 Cowboys Classic against Michigan.
(Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)
Alabama doesn't have a date to open the 2017 or 2018 season, but there's a placeholder for 2019 or 2020.
A provision in the contact for the Crimson Tide's 2016 game with USC in Arlington, Texas calls for a possible return to AT&T Stadium in the future.
It says Alabama will "negotiate exclusively with ESPN in good faith through August 31, 2015 in an effort to schedule a football game between Alabama and a non-conference opponent to be held on August 31, 2019 or September 5, 2020 at the (AT&T) Stadium."
The contract, dated Sept. 10 2014, also states Alabama will not schedule a non-conference game that would prevent it from playing in the 2019 or 2020 Cowboys Classic.
ESPN and Alabama would have to "mutually approve" the opponent in the game. The contract states Alabama will receive $6 million guaranteed for participation. Also, it says Alabama will receive "a minimum of $1,000,000 more than their opponent for the 2019 or 2020 game."
Alabama will open the 2015 and 2016 seasons in the Cowboy Classic in the home of the Dallas Cowboys. It will receive $4 million to play Wisconsin this season and $6.5 million for the 2016 game with USC.
Florida and Michigan will meet in the 2017 Cowboys Classic while the 2018 version will feature LSU and Miami.
Alabama has opened five of the last seven seasons with non-conference games in neutral sites. Four of those five games were played in Atlanta while it started the 2012 national title season with a win over Michigan in the Cowboys Classic.
Alabama and Florida State were reportedly discussing a season-opening matchup for the 2017 season to be played in the Atlanta Falcons new stadium.