Alabama-Oklahoma Game Day Guide: What’s at Stake & How to Watch, Stream

Here's everything you need to know before a clash of SEC foes in the first game of the College Football Playoff.

DeBoer (left) and the Crimson Tide will look to avenge a Nov. 15 loss to Venables (right) and the Sooners in the first round of the College Football Playoff. / Brian Bahr/Getty Images

SEC foes will lock horns once again in the first round of the College Football Playoff when the Alabama Crimson Tide travel to Norman, Okla., to take on the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday night. We'll break down everything you need to know ahead of the action between the Crimson Tide and the Sooners so you're ready to go when the game kicks off on Friday night.

What's at Stake in Alabama vs. Oklahoma?

Since Oklahoma moved to the SEC in 2024, the Sooners and the Crimson Tide have played twice, with Oklahoma emerging victorious both times, including a 23-21 triumph in Norman earlier this season in November. Other than that, the Sooners, long a Big 12 member, and the Crimson Tide, had met just six other times dating back to 1963, with Oklahoma winning three of those games, Alabama securing two victories and the two storied programs playing to a 24-24 tie back in 1970.

While Friday's game may not match the stakes of the 2018 Orange Bowl between these two squads, it's still one of the biggest games in the history of this head-to-head matchup. Both teams hang their respective hats on a strong defense, as the Sooners boast the seventh-ranked scoring defense while the Tide's unit ranked 12th in the FBS in scoring defense.

These two programs enter the contest seemingly heading in different directions, as the Crimson Tide are coming off of a narrow win against Auburn in the Iron Bowl followed by a decisive defeat at the hands of Georgia in the SEC championship game. Meanwhile, the Sooners finished the season with wins over Missouri (No. 25 in the AP poll) and LSU. When Alabama and Oklahoma met in November, the contest came down to the final two minutes, when the Sooners' defense stalled the Tide's offense, which was attempting to get into field goal range for a game-winning kick. Perhaps another close game is on tap?

The winner between Alabama and Oklahoma advances to take on No. 1 Indiana in the quarterfinals of the 12-team bracket.

How to Watch Alabama vs. Oklahoma Live

The clash between Alabama and Oklahoma is set to be broadcast live from Memorial Stadium on ABC and ESPN with play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler, color analyst Kirk Herbstreit, and sideline reporters Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge on the call. In addition to the main broadcast, ESPN also has several altcasts available.

Here's a look at the options, per an ESPN press release.

Channel	Broadcast
ABC	Main Feed
ESPN	Main Feed
ESPN2	SkyCast (Oklahoma hometown radio broadcast)
SEC Network	SkyCast (Alabama hometown radio broadcast)

The game will be streaming on ESPN+ and there are also a bevy of other streaming options to watch the game, with the likes of Fubo, YouTube TV, Sling TV and Hulu leading the pack.

What Time Does Alabama vs. Oklahoma Kickoff?

The broadcast will begin on ABC and ESPN at 8 p.m. ET with kickoff shortly to follow.

Time Zone	Start Time
Eastern	8 p.m.
Central	7 p.m.
Mountain	6 p.m.
Pacific	5 p.m.

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