Alabama and USC will kick off the 2016 season against each other the Cowboys Classic. Unless the two teams meet in a bowl or the College Football Playoff, it will be the first time the Tide and Trojans have played since 1978.
The Sept. 3, 2016 meeting continues the recent trend of noteworthy contests on college football's opening weekend. Alabama will play in the 2015 Cowboys Classic against Wisconsin, and that 2016 date falls on the same day as Notre Dame at Texas.
Alabama and USC competed for national titles and played four times in the 1970's, splitting the series 2-2 with the Trojans taking handing the Tide its only loss in 1978. One interesting note, courtesy of USA Today's Paul Myerberg; Alabama's win against Washington two weeks later in that 1978 season is the program's most recent win against a Pac-10/12 team.