Aggies invited to open 2025 football season at FCS Kickoff Classic in Alabama

UC Davis will meet Mercer of Georgia in Montgomery's historic Cramton Bowl

With the opening of fall camp for the 2025 football season little more than six months away, UC Davis has been invited for the first time to participate in the annual FCS Kickoff Classic in Montgomery, Alabama.

The game will be held on August 23 in the so-called "Week Zero," before most FCS and FBS schools begin their regular season schedules.

UCD's opponent will be Mercer, a private school out of Macon, Georgia that, like the Aggies, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 FCS playoffs.

The Aggies lost their quarterfinal battle, 35-21, at South Dakota, while Mercer fell, 31-7, to eventual national champion North Dakota State.

"We're pleased that they reached out to us and we get to play a great team like Mercer," said Aggie head coach Tim Plough.

The game will be held at the 25,000-seat Cramton Bowl and nationally televised by ESPN. The 103-year-old stadium was originally built for minor league baseball, but has hosted college football for a number of years as well.

"We have tremendous momentum with our football program and are excited to showcase Aggie Pride on a national stage in Montgomery, Alabama," said UC Davis Athletic Director Rocko DeLuca.

"Competing in the FCS Kickoff during Zero Week at a historic venue not only amplifies our visibility, but also highlights everything our remarkable student-athletes from this Top 10 public university have to offer."

Noted FCS Kickoff executive director Johnny Williams, "We are excited to have Mercer and UC Davis. Mercer is a former FCS Kickoff Classic champion, while UC Davis gives us a presence from the West Coast."