Alabama Basketball Locks In Opponent for 2024 C.M. Newton Classic

The Crimson Tide basketball program will welcome a marquee opponent into Birmingham for the 2024 C.M. Newton Classic.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats has made scheduling challenging non-conference opponents a staple of his program's philosophy since taking over the Crimson Tide program in 2019. 

That tradition continues in 2024 as the Crimson Tide will welcome the Arizona Wildcats to Birmingham for the C.M. Newton Classic on Dec. 18, 2024.

Coming to the Magic City in 2024...

🏀 | @AlabamaMBB vs. @ArizonaMBB
📆 | Dec. 18, 2024
📍 | @LegacyArena#CMNewtonClassic | @TriGreenEquip

— C.M. Newton Classic (@CMNewtonClassic) August 17, 2023

The announcement comes as no surprise to the Alabama faithful as it follows a similar pattern as the Tide's two-year series with Gonzaga from 2021-2022. 

Alabama is already set to play Arizona this winter at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Dec. 20. The Wildcats are now locked in for a return trip to Alabama the following year.

Alabama currently has a 3-1 series lead over Arizona in all-time head-to-head matchups. The Tide won a 1985 and a 1990 NCAA Tournament matchup over the Wildcats. The two schools split a home-and-home series in 2017 and 2018 with both sides claiming victories on their home floors.

The Crimson Tide is scheduled to play Liberty on Dec. 30 in the 2023 edition of the C.M. Newton Classic.

The C.M. Newton Classic honors the former Alabama coach who accumulated over 200 career wins with the Tide and won three straight SEC championships in the 1970s while taking the program to two NCAA Tournament appearances. 

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