Nov 15, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Aden Holloway (2) shoots the ball in front of Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) during the first half at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Alabama Basketball Unveils Full 2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule

Originally posted on Alabama Crimson Tide on SI
By Hunter De | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 1:57 PM ET

Alabama men's basketball closed last season with a 28-9 (13-5 SEC) record, and following a loss to Duke in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, the Crimson Tide finished 2024-25 as the No. 6 team in the AP Top 25 and No. 6 in the Coaches Poll.

But now, the page has completely turned to the 2025-26 season. Over the past couple of months, Alabama has added several games to its non-conference schedule, and on Tuesday, it was finalized. Here's a look at the Crimson Tide's matchups prior to SEC play:

Full 2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule

Nov. 3: vs. North Dakota
Nov. 8: at St. John’s
Nov. 13: vs. Purdue
Nov. 19: at Illinois (in Chicago)
Nov. 24: vs. Gonzaga (Players Era Festival in Las Vegas)
Nov. 25 vs. UNLV (Players Era Festival in Las Vegas)
Dec. 3: vs. Clemson (SEC/ACC Challenge)
Dec. 7: vs. UTSA (12/7)
Dec. 13: vs. Arizona (in Birmingham for C.M. Newton Classic)
Dec. 17: vs. South Florida
Dec. 21: vs. Kennesaw State (in Huntsville)
Dec. 29: vs. Yale

Alabama has had the toughest strength of schedule in the country for back-to-back years. It's resulted in some losses, but Alabama's ability to build off the failure has led to back-to-back Elite Eight appearances.

"I think going through a little bit of adversity in a non-conference helps," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said on May 14. "And look, you really don't get punished for losing those games. When you look at your seeding for the NCAA tournament, the committee wants good non-conference games."

The Crimson Tide's non-conference schedule features numerous highly ranked programs and NCAA Tournament teams from last season. Alabama still wants to be challenged in 2025-26 and Oats said "We're going to try to have the best schedule in the country again."

Only time will tell to determine if a gauntlet of a non-conference schedule enhances Alabama for the third consecutive season.

This article first appeared on Alabama Crimson Tide on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: