Crimson Tide secure No. 4 seed for another March Madness run. Can Nate Oats' elite squad dance all the way to the Sweet Sixteen?
March has arrived, and once again Alabama basketball is right where it expects to be: in the NCAA Tournament.
The Crimson Tide officially earned a No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region and will open tournament play against Hofstra on Friday, March 20. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. CT at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, with the game set to air on TruTV.
If Alabama advances past Hofstra, the Tide will face the winner of No. 5 Texas Tech and No. 12 Akron with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
For Alabama fans, tournament appearances are no longer rare moments of celebration, they’ve become the standard under head coach Nate Oats.
This year marks the sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in Oats’ seven seasons leading the Crimson Tide, continuing one of the most successful stretches in program history. Even more impressive, Oats has now guided his teams to the NCAA Tournament in nine of the 10 seasons the tournament has been played during his head coaching career, with the only exception being 2020 when the tournament was cancelled due to the global pandemic.
Alabama’s consistency in March is also showing up in the program record books.
The Crimson Tide has now earned a No. 4 seed or better in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments, something that has never been done before in Tuscaloosa. That stretch includes a No. 1 seed in 2023, a No. 4 seed in 2024, a No. 2 seed in 2025, and now another No. 4 seed in 2026.
Simply put, Alabama basketball has firmly planted itself among the sport’s elite.
The Tide’s selection also marks six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, tying the longest streak in program history. Alabama previously reached six straight tournaments from 1982 through 1987, though the 1987 appearance was later vacated.
And while the program has become used to hearing its name called on Selection Sunday, the expectations surrounding Alabama basketball have grown significantly.
This isn’t just about making the field anymore.
Under Oats, Alabama has already proven it can make deep runs, becoming the only Division I program to reach both a Final Four and an Elite Eight over the last two seasons. That experience gives the Crimson Tide a level of confidence few teams in the country can match.
Of course, March Madness has a way of humbling even the best teams. Hofstra will arrive with the mindset of a dangerous underdog, and Alabama will need to be locked in from the opening tip.
But if the Tide plays the way it’s capable of, there’s a real chance this team could be just getting started.
March is here.
And Alabama is ready to dance again.
Roll Tide.