Alabama Basketball Coming Back to Mobile with Marquee 2028 Matchup vs. Iowa

NASHVILLE, TN - JANUARY 06: Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats during a game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and Alabama Crimson Tide, January 6, 2024 at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire)

The Alabama Crimson Tide is headed to the Port City.

According to an announcement from the program on Thursday, two games have been agreed to against the Iowa Hawkeyes for the 2026-27 season and the 2027-28 season. The first game, which will be played this upcoming season will be played on December 21 at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa rather than actually being on campus two hours away in Iowa City.

The fascinating wrinkle here is the location of the return game the following season, being scheduled to be played in Mobile with no set date being announced yet.

While details have not been announced, the expectation is that the game will be held in the new Regions Arena in downtown Mobile, which is scheduled to open in time for Mardi Gras season in 2027 on the former Mobile Civic Center site.

In today’s day and age of college sports, things can change by the day especially when it comes to pre scheduled neutral site non-conference games. With that being said, it looks like the City of Mobile is going to be getting a big time event in their new venue shortly after it opens in front of what should be a very loud and excited crowd.