This year’s non-conference schedule features six games played under the arched roof of Coleman Coliseum, along with challenging road games against the likes of Texas and OR to highlight this year’s slate.
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Coach Avery Johnson said he felt good about the foundation his team laid for success last year, but in year two he will be looking for his team to take the next step.
“We thought last year we played a competitive schedule, and we think this year we needed to take it one notch higher, and that’s what we did”, Johnson said. UA will face Clemson in Birmingham’s Legacy Arena on December 18 and follow that with a December 21 contest against Arkansas State in Huntsville’s Von Braun Civic Center. “We can’t play five top 10 teams but we can’t play 10 games against teams with RPIs of 300, either”.
The Clemson contest will mark the second consecutive year the Crimson Tide will play an opponent in Birmingham.
December 11 Alabama at OR in Eugene, Ore.
The Crimson Tide will play three NCAA Tournament teams Dayton at home on November 15, at Texas on December 2 and at OR on December 11.
Other noteworthy games in the non-conference schedule include showdowns with fellow NIT team Valparaiso and a potential match up with BYU in the same tournament taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada Nov. 21-23.
The business of the day, however, was the announcement of the 12-game non-conference schedule. Each game was introduced by a player, including the Crimson Tide’s four newcomers.
Alabama will play an exhibition game in Coleman Coliseum against Faulkner on November 3. Alabama will play six of those games at Coleman Coliseum, two (Texas and Oregon) on the road, two in the Men Who Stand Up Tournament in Las Vegas and two games, one in Huntsville and one in Birmingham, in other state locales.
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The 2017 Southeastern Conference schedule, as well as all start times and television carriers, will be announced at a later date.
