Why Alabama is 'Trying to Have the Best Schedule in the Country Again'

Alabama men's basketball head coach Nate Oats loves a challenge.

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

Oats and the Tide are still filling up the non-conference schedule, which already includes numerous highly ranked and NCAA Tournament teams from last season. Alabama still wants to be challenged in 2025-26 and Oats aims for even tougher opponents.

"We're still in the middle of adding a few more few more games," Oats said on Tuesday morning at the Regions Tradition in Birmingham. "You know what? We're going to try to have the best schedule in the country again, maybe. Maybe it's seven really good ones instead of eight really good ones. I don't know.

"I think [tough schedules have] worked for us. You look at the success we've had––we've had the No. 1 strength schedule in the country the last two years...But two years ago, when it was really tough, we lost three straight non-conference games. We still ended up going to the Final Four. So I believe we're the only team in the country that's played in the last two Elite Eights. So I think it works.

"I think we peaked at the right time, I think going through a little bit of adversity in a non-conference helps. 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."

Alabama's rigorous schedule for next season practically begins immediately as the Crimson Tide will face St. John's in Madison Square Garden on November 8. The Red Storm had a historic season under Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino as the Red Storm won the Big East regular-season title outright for the first time since 1985 after logging a 31-5 record (18-2 Big East) and also won the conference tournament in the postseason.

Oats called Madison Square Garden, also known as the World's Most Famous Arena, "one of the best places to play in college basketball." Being able to face Pitino and a team on a meteoric rise was "an opportunity we didn't think we could pass up."

"St. John's has won the Big East, No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament," Oats said. "They play a little bit different style. We're going to have to be ready for the pressure. Our guards, whatever we end up being on the roster, they're going to have to be ready to go against their pressure. I think it'll be good for us."

Alabama will also go head-to-head with Purdue on Nov. 8 and Illinois on Nov. 19 next season. Alabama faced both teams last season as it lost to the Boilermakers 87-78 on the road but defeated the Fighting Illini 100-87 in Birmingham.

"So we've got Illinois. It's going to be one of the best teams in the Big Ten. We get them up in Chicago. We've got Purdue, who I think is top-five in the country in wins over the last four or five years. Always one of the best teams. They're coming back to our place, which will be good."