Samford and North Alabama to Continue Joe W. Davis Stadium's Brief Football History

Huntsville will be one of Week Zero’s hotspots when it hosts a kickoff game between North Alabama and Samford. This is North Alabama’s second attempt at a marquee game in the Huntsville metro area in the last four years. The program notoriously played a game at Toyota Field, the home of the Rocket City Trash Pandas, in 2022, in which the teams used only one end zone due to the field's small dimensions.

This time around marks a momentous occasion: the first college football game at Wicks Family Field at Joe W. Davis Stadium in over 30 years. The ballpark-turned-soccer venue has a unique history as a football venue.

Joe W. Davis Stadium’s football history started inauspiciously when 4,000 fans, less than half of the ballpark’s 10,000-seat capacity, braved rainy conditions to see #14 North Alabama beat Alabama A&M 6-3. Both teams struggled to move the ball, with North Alabama outgaining Alabama A&M 169-146. Struggles in the passing game accentuated this. Both teams combined to complete eight of their 34 passes for 77 yards and threw three interceptions.

Another defensive struggle took place in the next game at Joe W. Davis Stadium the following year. In 1986, Alabama A&M beat Jacksonville State 14-7 in front of 9,000 fans. Bulldog running back Rodney Davis ran for 142 yards on 29 carries, while receiver Allen Moore caught 10 passes for 156 yards. The win was Alabama A&M’s first win over Jacksonville State in 12 years, breaking an 11-game winless streak. The following year, North Alabama continued its winning ways against Alabama A&M with a 16-14 win. Lion quarterback Lonnie Mister threw for two touchdown passes to lead North Alabama.

Joe W. Davis Stadium did not host a football game for five years before hosting two in 1992. First, #9 Savannah State beat Alabama A&M 31-14 in front of 6,323 attendees after racing to a 24-0 lead. Later that year, Albany State beat Alabama A&M 10-3 in front of 3,525 fans. The Golden Rams held the Bulldogs to 193 yards.

The pair of 1992 games closed the book on the short, forgotten football history at Joe W. Davis Stadium. Low scores and sparse crowds marred the six games played at the minor league ballpark. Now, three years after a much-needed renovation, Samford and North Alabama hope to usher in a brand new era for the stadium with their battle this season.