Alabama Men’s Basketball To Face Iowa In Neutral-Site Showdown

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Alabama Crimson Tide is adding another marquee nonconference matchup to its 2026-27 schedule, as the program announced Wednesday it will face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Dec. 21 at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

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The game will mark the first meeting between the programs in more than 15 years and the first contest in a two-game series.

The return game is scheduled for the 2027-28 season in Mobile, though a date has not yet been announced.

Alabama and Iowa have met twice previously, splitting the series. The Hawkeyes earned a 55-47 victory at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, in 2010, while the 10th-ranked Crimson Tide defeated Iowa 72-60 in the same tournament in 2006.

The Dec. 21 contest will also be Alabama's first basketball game played in the state of Iowa.

Both programs are coming off Sweet 16 appearances in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Under head coach Nate Oats, Alabama has compiled an 8-7 record against Big Ten opponents.

Iowa is led by first-year head coach Ben McCollum and posted a pair of victories over SEC opponents during the 2025-26 season, defeating Ole Miss in the Acrisure Classic before knocking off Florida in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32.

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