UCF jilted again. Texas dumps Knights for Alabama home-and-home

As if being left out of last season's College Football Playoff national championship weren't enough, Central Florida fans became the bridesmaid to Alabama again on Wednesday as the Knights' 2023 matchup with Texas was canceled so the Longhorns could make room for the Tide.

Alabama and Texas on Wednesday announced a home-and-home series with each other in 2022 and 2023. The Tide will visit Austin, Texas, for the first time in almost a century on Sept. 10, 2022. Texas reciprocates with a trip to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 9, 2023.

"We are pleased and happy to be able to add an opponent the caliber of the University of Texas to our non-conference schedule," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said in a press release. "The Crimson Tide and Longhorns have played a lot of memorable games over the years and the addition of this home-and-home series will be great for not only our fans, but fans of college football."

To make room for Alabama on its schedule, the Longhorns canceled a planned game with Central Florida in 2023. UCF went 13-0 last season, but was left out of the College Football Playoff. Regardless, the university proclaimed itself the "2017 National Champions" with a parade and banner despite Alabama having won the recognized title in the playoff system. Saban spoke on that issue on Tuesday.

Texas holds a 7-1-1 edge in the series with Alabama. Six of those meetings came in bowl games, including the 2010 BCS National Championship Game won by the Tide. The teams first met in Tuscaloosa during the 1902 season followed by trips to Austin for the Crimson Tide in 1915 and 1922. The bowl game meetings also include the 1948 Sugar Bowl, the 1960 Bluebonnet Bowl, the 1965 Orange Bowl and the 1973 and 1982 Cotton Bowls.

This story was originally published May 16, 2018 at 3:06 PM with the headline "UCF jilted again. Texas dumps Knights for Alabama home-and-home."