Frank Wilson's LSU head coaching debut will be televised on ABC

In what has become an annual tradition, LSU and Alabama will meet in primetime at 6:30 p.m. on ABC when the teams square off in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 8.

Since the 2011 regular-season meeting between the teams in Tuscaloosa when the Tigers won, 9-6, in overtime, LSU and Alabama have played in primetime 13 of the past 14 years.

Both teams have an open date this week. LSU will bring a 5-3 record into the contest, while the Crimson Tide has risen to No. 4 in the nation and stands at 7-1 overall.

The Alabama contest will mark the LSU head coaching debut for interim head coach Frank Wilson, who was named to the position on Sunday.

Wilson has previously served as head coach at UT-San Antonio and McNeese.

The SEC Office on Monday provided an update to the start times and networks that will televise its football games on Nov. 8.

Prior to the season, the SEC announced approximate start times for football games during the 2025 season as well as many television network designations. The Conference office issues weekly updates to provide exact start times and TV networks no later than six days prior to any game.

SEC Football Television Schedule

Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025
11 a.m. CT – Georgia at Mississippi State, ABC or ESPN *
12 p.m. CT – The Citadel at Ole Miss, SEC Network+/ESPN+
2:30 p.m. CT – Texas A&M at Missouri, ABC
3 p.m. CT – Auburn at Vanderbilt, SEC Network
6:30 p.m. CT – LSU at Alabama, ABC
6:30 p.m. CT – Florida at Kentucky, SEC Network

* Game time and Network determined after games of Nov. 1

Thoughts from LSU interim HC Frank Wilson’s press conference

The Bengal Tiger’s Matthew Brune shared three of his biggest takeaways from LSU Football interim head coach Frank Wilson’s first press conference.

1. LSU will run the football!

Wilson had a pretty hearty chuckle when he said “I promise you we will run the ball.” during his press conference and I believe him. The running backs coach is now the interim head coach and the run game coordinator is now the playcaller. Pair that with the success LSU has had on the ground the past two games and I think it’s clear what we’ll see from this team in the final four games of the season. I think it will also help the pass game substantially as LSU ranked last in the conference in play action rate and therefore lacked explosiveness.

“At times we have been able to run the ball to provide relief to the passing game, but we want to do it more consistently and if we do that it will allow our offense to be that much more effective. Alex Atkins was our run game coordinator and has a background as a playcaller”

2. There’s no one better to unify this LSU program

Wilson was succinct, honest, and direct with what his goals and expectations are for the rest of this. He talked about the importance of this position to the state and its people. He talked about the efforts to bring this team together in times of adversity. He has a plan for the coaching staff. Above all, it feels like this means a lot to him and with his resume and professionalism I think LSU is in a great spot to have Wilson leading them through the fire of the final four games.

LSU has not lost a recruit and has not had a player opt out in the 48 hours since the Brian Kelly firing and a lot of that is due to Wilson.

“It’s a testament to the quality of the young men that we have [that none have opted out]. They signed up to come to school here. They came at the helm of coach Kelly as the head coach, but they were also committed to the university and they were committed to one another. In a time as perilous as this, you bat down the hatches, you go shoulder to shoulder and you stand firm and stick with the commitment of what your intentions were from the beginning. It’s been hard. It’s an array of emotions, but we’ve been here for one another. When the news broke we were here together. We’re here throughout the bye week. We have bonded closer. We’ve taken up the slack to be supportive of one another during this time.”

3. He wants to give this team hope

He said they held the “Tiger Bowl” today featuring LSU players who did not play on Saturday, in order to give them a chance to work on their craft and compete. It’s not an abnormal thing to do in a bye week late in the year, but I think there’s a clear emphasis that he wants everyone to stay engaged and stay competitive. For a lot of this team, it’s probably just another week of prep, with their position coaches staying in their spots, but when there are coaching changes you sometimes see the young players or bench guys start to check out, but the hope is that Wilson can keep them engaged and optimistic that they can get opportunities this year.

“you have a responsibility to continue to develop yourself to be the best version of you. If you’re a freshman and need continued development. If you’re a veteran player with desires to be an all-conference player. If you have aspirations of playing in the NFL. We have a lot of season left for us where we have to conduct our business. In the midst of chaos, there is opportunity.”