Report: Alabama, Illinois finalizing two-game series in Birmingham, Chicago
Alabama basketball has reportedly added another tough non-conference series.
According to Jon Rothstein, the Crimson Tide and the Illinois Fighting Illini are finalizing an agreement to play in Birmingham this upcoming season. While there is not an official date or a timetable for an announcement, the game will be played in December, per Rothstein.
The matchup will be the first of two as part of a pseudo-home-and-home series. Alabama would make a return trip to Illinois to play the Illini in Chicago’s United Center in 2025.
Illinois finished the 2023-24 season with a 29-9 (14-6 Big Ten) record. After winning the Big Ten Tournament, the Illini earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion UConn, 77-52, in Boston.
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Alabama was scheduled to play Arizona in Birmingham this year, but news of the Illinois series could mean that the Tide-Wildcats matchup is either in jeopardy or will be moved.
In addition to the game against Illinois in Birmingham, the Crimson Tide is also set to welcome Creighton to Tuscaloosa on Dec. 14 and will be one of eight teams participating in the first-ever NIL tournament in Las Vegas the week of Thanksgiving along with Houston, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State, Texas A&M and one more, per CBS Sports.
*** This story will be updated.
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