Alabama basketball fans can mark their calendars for a marquee matchup to kick off the 2025-26 season. According to reports from CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein and an announcement by Alabama’s NIL collective, the Crimson Tide is closing in on an agreement to face Big East powerhouse St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on November 8. The highly anticipated showdown would feature two of the most talked-about programs in college basketball, led by two dynamic and high-profile head coaches: Alabama’s Nate Oats and St. John’s legendary Rick Pitino.
The potential game promises to be a highlight of the non-conference schedule, pitting an Elite Eight Alabama team against a resurgent St. John’s squad that earned a No. 2 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament under Pitino. Though the Red Storm suffered a second-round upset at the hands of John Calipari’s Arkansas, they are projected to enter the 2025-26 campaign as a top-five team nationally. With the game taking place under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden—the mecca of basketball—it’s sure to generate major buzz.
But the excitement won’t end in New York. As part of a home-and-home agreement, St. John’s is expected to make the return trip during the 2026-27 season, with that game set to take place at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. This two-game series gives Alabama a rare opportunity to boost its non-conference résumé while giving fans two premier matchups on opposite ends of the country.
This high-profile pairing is in line with Nate Oats’ philosophy of stacking Alabama’s non-conference schedule with elite competition. For the upcoming season, the Crimson Tide is already set to face off against national contenders Purdue, Arizona, and Illinois. They’ll also compete in the new Players Era Festival in Las Vegas and take part in the SEC/ACC Challenge, rounding out one of the toughest non-conference slates in the country.
However, Oats recently hinted that this strategy might be adjusted in the future due to the increasing difficulty of the SEC schedule. Speaking to SiriusXM College Sports Radio in April, Oats remarked, “There’s no off nights. I think it’s good, that’s why I schedule non-conference, but we may have to evaluate our non-conference schedule based on how tough our conference schedule is right now.”
Alabama is coming off a strong 2024-25 season that ended with a deep tournament run, falling to Duke in the Elite Eight. The potential matchup against St. John’s would be the first meeting between the two programs since the 1982 NCAA Tournament, where Wimp Sanderson’s Crimson Tide edged out a narrow 69-68 victory.
Meanwhile, the coaching duel adds another layer of intrigue. Oats holds a 1-1 career record against Pitino, stemming from previous clashes when Pitino was at Iona. With both coaches known for their aggressive styles and tactical acumen, this November battle promises fireworks on one of college basketball’s biggest stages.
