Alabama Basketball's 2026 NCAA Tournament Seed, First Opponent Announced

The Crimson Tide has learned its March Madness path as head coach Nate Oats enters his sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 10:23pm

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Alabama basketball has officially learned its placement and path for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide has been named the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region of the bracket and will first play 13-seed Hofstra in the first round on Friday in Tampa, Florida. This will be head coach Nate Oats' sixth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.

Why it matters

Alabama was ranked No. 15 in the Preseason AP Poll and finished the regular season ranked No. 15 as well, despite a roller coaster season that saw them drop out of the rankings for a two-week stretch. The Crimson Tide clinched a double bye in the SEC Tournament but fell to 15-seed Ole Miss in the quarterfinals.

The details

Alabama was 2-3 in ranked nonconference contests, with wins over then-No. 5 St. John's and then-No. 8 Illinois, but losses to then-No. 2 Purdue, then-No. 12 Gonzaga and then No. 1 Arizona. The Crimson Tide started 4-4 in SEC play, which was a tipping point, but then won 8 straight games to clinch the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament.

  • Alabama will play Hofstra in the first round on Friday in Tampa, Florida.
  • Should Alabama win, they would face the winner of 5-seed Texas Tech/12-seed Akron in the Round of 32 on Sunday.

The players

Nate Oats

Alabama's head coach, who is making his sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

Hofstra

Alabama's first-round opponent, a 13-seed in the Midwest Region.

Texas Tech

A 5-seed in the Midwest Region, potential second-round opponent for Alabama.

Akron

A 12-seed in the Midwest Region, potential second-round opponent for Alabama.

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What’s next

This story will be updated with the full Midwest Region and also the entire bracket.

The takeaway

Alabama is a 4-seed in the Midwest Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, continuing a streak of six consecutive tournament appearances under head coach Nate Oats. The Crimson Tide will face 13-seed Hofstra in the first round, with a potential matchup against 5-seed Texas Tech or 12-seed Akron in the Round of 32.