A New Era Begins
Alabama women's basketball is set to open its 2026‑27 SEC campaign with a marquee matchup against South Carolina on New Year's Eve at Coleman Coliseum, marking the first step under head coach Pauline Love.
The Crimson Tide will then host Georgia on January 3 and Florida on January 7, giving fans a quick succession of home games to start the conference slate.
Beyond the early home stretch, Alabama will travel to face a slate of SEC opponents that includes Ole Miss, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi State, while also hosting Ole Miss in a home‑and‑home series later in the season.
Road opponents also feature LSU, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and the in‑state rivalry game against Auburn, scheduled for February 7 at Coleman Coliseum.
The regular season will close with back‑to‑back home contests against Ole Miss on February 25 and Texas A&M on February 28, providing a final push before the SEC Tournament.
Love, who succeeded Kristy Curry after serving as an assistant under her, inherits a roster that went 24‑11 last season, reached the SEC Tournament quarterfinals and earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Louisville.
Although Alabama finished the previous year unranked in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, receiving only 28 votes, the team’s strong non‑conference résumé and the addition of Love’s experience have set high expectations for the upcoming campaign.