The state of Alabama’s primary rivals separated by 128 miles will be even closer Thursday.

Both Alabama and Auburn will play first-round NCAA tournament games in Birmingham’s Legacy Arena as part of the tournament bracket revealed Sunday evening. The Tide and Tigers are in two different regions of the tournament — Alabama the No. 1 seed in the South, and Auburn the No. 9 seed in the Midwest — but both were assigned to the sub-regional site in their backyard.

Alabama will play the winner of the No. 16 seed play-in game Tuesday between Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Southeast Missouri State, while Auburn will meet No. 8 seed Iowa. Alabama’s game was paired with the South region’s No. 8 seed Maryland vs. No. 9 seed Virginia, while Auburn’s game is paired with Midwest No. 1 seed Houston vs. No. 16 seed Northern Kentucky.

The four games will be split into two sessions Thursday. Maryland-Virginia will tip off at 11:15 a.m. CT, followed by Alabama’s game at 1:45 p.m.. The second session will feature Auburn and Iowa at 5:50 p.m. CT, then Houston’s game at 8:20 p.m.

Although Legacy Arena will be cleared between Alabama and Auburn’s games, the potential for crossover between the two fanbases exists. The NCAA has sold tickets for individual sessions but also offers “all-session” passes including Saturday’s second-round games between the winners of Thursday’s games. There is also the chance Alabama fans buy tickets to watch Auburn play, and Auburn fans buy tickets to watch Alabama play.

In either case, Alabama coach Nate Oats is hoping for an Alabama-friendly crowd when his team hits the floor as the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.

“We need to put it out there — we need that place packed full with Alabama fans,” he said Sunday evening after the bracket was revealed. “It’s part of the reward of having a great regular season. We get to play what should essentially be a home game for the first two rounds. Let’s make sure we pump that up. Let’s get the arena filled with Alabama fans.”

This is the first time since 2008 that Birmingham has hosted NCAA tournament first and second round games, with Alabama’s status as the No. 1 overall seed affording the Tide the privilege of playing in their home state and, if they advance to the Sweet 16, closer to home in Louisville.

“I think it’s great that we were able to have the year that we had when it’s in Birmingham,” Oats said.

Alabama has played in the BJCC in each of the past two seasons. It scheduled Colorado State in Dec. 2021 for the C.M. Newton Classic but COVID issues within that program led to Davidson stepping in as the new opponent three days before the game. Alabama lost, 79-78.

“Davidson’s not a team you want to prep for on a one-day prep,” Oats said Sunday. “We had to scramble and find somebody. Davidson did us a favor and came to play, because we needed to play that game. That’s definitely not a team I would ever choose to play on a one-day prep.”

This past December, Gonzaga was Alabama’s opponent in a CBS-televised meeting in Birmingham. Despite an overwhelmingly pro-Alabama crowd, the Tide lost, 100-90.

“Gonzaga’s a really good team,” Oats said. “They’re one of the best offensive teams — maybe No. 1 in the country in offensive efficiency — and we just didn’t bring it on the defensive end that day.

“I don’t want to make too much of the fact that both of those games were in Birmingham. I don’t think that had anything to do with it. We’ve got to bring our defensive intensity. If we do, we’ll be alright.”

Oats did coach Alabama to a win in Legacy Arena in Dec. 2019, when the Tide beat Samford in what was technically a road game.

“The arena was packed with Alabama fans when it was the Gonzaga game,” Oats said. “Hopefully we play a lot better these first two rounds than we did against Gonzaga. But I think we’ll take care of our end of that if we can get the fans to pack the place out and get us going.”

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.