The University of Alabama basketball team will travel to uncharted territory in December to face the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in the team's first-ever game in North Dakota. The game will be played in Grand Forks on Dec. 18 as part of both teams' non-conference schedules.
This will be a homecoming for Alabama forward Grant Nelson, a Devils Lake, North Dakota, native who spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at North Dakota State before transferring to the University of Alabama.
“When Grant Nelson decided to return to Alabama, Coach Stevens reached out right away and asked if he would be interested in bringing Grant back to his home state to compete, and to Coach Oats' credit, they quickly accepted the offer,” University of North Dakota men's basketball coach Paul Sather said. “It's not often that a team with a top-five potential comes to Grand Forks, so this will be a great environment and an opportunity to play against some great teams on our hometown courts.”
As part of the deal, North Dakota State will play its season openers in 2025-26 and 2027-28 at Coleman Coliseum.
Alabama's 2024-25 non-conference schedule is starting to take shape, with multiple dates announced over the past few weeks, including games against McNeese on Nov. 11, Purdue on Nov. 15, Creighton on Dec. 14 and Kent State on Dec. 22. The Crimson Tide will also travel to Las Vegas over Thanksgiving week for three games at the Players' Era festival.
The date for the North Dakota game was previously scheduled for the CM Newton Classic in Birmingham, but that has now been rescheduled.
