Date revealed for Alabama-Arizona basketball game in Birmingham

Alabama men’s basketball’s game against Arizona at Birmingham’s Legacy Arena this upcoming season will be played on Saturday, December 13, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.
The Crimson Tide and Wildcats were initially set to meet last season in Birmingham, which was the return game of a two-contest, neutral-site series. Alabama and Arizona played in Phoenix on December 21, 2023, with the Wildcats claiming an 87-74 win. The return game, however, was delayed one season and will now be played during the 2025-26 campaign.
Last season, Alabama instead faced Illinois in Birmingham, where it picked up a 100-87 win at Legacy Arena. The Crimson Tide and Fighting Illini are set to meet in Chicago this season.
This year’s game in Birmingham will mark the fifth straight season that Alabama has played a neutral-site game at Legacy Arena. Known as the CM Newton Classic, the Crimson Tide has also faced Davidson in 2021, Gonzaga in 2022, Liberty in 2023 and Illinois in 2024.
Top 10
- 1New
Top 25 College QBs
Ranking best '25 signal callers
- 2
Top 25 Defensive Lines
Ranking the best for 2025
- 3
Big Ten Football
Predicting 1st loss for each team
- 4Hot
College Football Playoff
Ranking Top 32 teams for 2025
- 5Trending
Tim Brando
Ranks Top 15 CFB teams for 2025
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Arizona finished the 2024-25 season with a 24-13 overall record. The Wildcats were a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost to 1-seed Duke in the Sweet 16. Alabama and Arizona were in the same region (East) and saw their seasons ended by the same squad.
In addition to Arizona and Illinois, Alabama’s non-conference schedule will also include home games against Purdue and North Dakota, the Players Era Festival and SEC/ACC Challenge.
*** This story will be updated.
Not a member, Alabama fans? Join BOL today!
Have you subscribed to BamaOnLine.com yet? You can sign up for ONE MONTH of premium access to our Alabama coverage for just $11.99! Be able to read all of BOL’s premium articles and nuggets covering Alabama sports and recruiting and also join thousands of other Crimson Tide fans around the globe on the BOL Round Table message board! CLICK HERE!