NCAA Basketball Tournament in Birmingham: What Alabama, Auburn fans need to know

Alabama and Auburn will play in their home state during South Region’s opening round of the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, which begins in Birmingham on Thursday.

Here’s what you need to know if you travel to Birmingham to watch the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament inside Legacy Arena at the BJCC.

Who is Alabama playing?

Alabama will open the tournament Thursday by playing the winner of a No. 16 seed play-in game Tuesday between Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Southeast Missouri State. With a win, Alabama would advance to play the winner of No. 8 seed Maryland and No. 9 seed West Virginia on Saturday.

It marks the 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, with Alabama owning a record of 21-22 (.488). The Crimson Tide’s 2004 team is the only squad in program history to reach the Elite 8. UA has appeared in the Sweet 16 eight times including in 2021. It also marks Tide head coach Nate Oats’ sixth NCAA Tournament appearance as a head coach, with the others coming in 2016, 2018 and 2019 at Buffalo.

Alabama is a No. 1 seed for the first time in program history

Who is Auburn playing?

Auburn secured a 9-seed in the Midwest Region. The Tigers (20-12) will face eighth-seeded Iowa (19-13) in the opening round of the tournament Thursday in Birmingham at Legacy Arena. It’s the first time in 12 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances that Auburn has drawn a nine-seed.

The Tigers had a 20-win season for the 14th time in program history and in back-to-back seasons under head coach Bruce Pearl. Auburn has now recorded 20-win seasons in five out of the last six years. It was also only the second time in program history to record 10-or-more wins in SEC play in five out of six years next to Joel Eaves-coached squads during the 1957-58 to 1962-63 seasons. The Tigers have a 2-2 record at neutral sites this season.

THURSDAY SCHEDULE

Schedule for Birmingham games Thursday:

11:15 a.m. Maryland vs. West Virginia (CBS)
1:45 p.m. Alabama vs. TAMU-CC/SEMU (CBS)
5:50 p.m. Auburn vs. Iowa (TNT)
8:20 p.m. N. Kentucky vs. Houston (TNT)

Doors are scheduled to open one hour before time printed on ticket.

Is Birmingham ready?

AL.com’s Greg Garrison reports that after not hosting the NCAA Tournament since 2008, the BJCC had to make significant improvements to its arena, adding a glass atrium in the front, an upgraded interior, a new coat of exterior paint and a new name, the Legacy Arena. The $123 million renovation and expansion began in April 2020, and the arena reopened last year.

Birmingham got the bid in October 2020 to host the tournament this week. While some re-sell tickets remain available (see below), the arena is officially sold out, about 16,000 seats for the four games that will be played on Thursday. The venue, which opened in 1976 and is now called Legacy Arena, hosted the NCAA Tournament 10 times from 1982-2008. The drought from 2009-2022, Garrison reports, was mainly because the arena needed to be updated.

“I think we have one of the pre-eminent facilities in the Southeast,” said Cornell Wesley, director of Birmingham’s office of innovation and economic opportunity. “Our community has shown themselves to be very welcoming. We have not only the infrastructure, but we have an amazing food community which also serves as a huge asset. It’s not just a game day experience.”

Alabama fans disagree with a call. The Alabama men’s basketball team hosts Mississippi State in Coleman Coliseum Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. The Crimson Tide won 66-63. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)

TICKETS

With both Alabama and Auburn playing the opening round in their home state, tickets are a hot commodity. Tickets are sold out via Ticketmaster. There are seats available at Vivid Seats, StubHub and Seat Geek. Be sure to save your tickets to your digital wallet before entering the venue.

Vivid Seats

Vivid Seats’ cheapest all-session tickets start at $567 apiece. Tickets for session 1 on March 16 are as cheap as $87 each. Session 2 seats are more expensive and start at $145 on March 16. Session 3, which is set for March 18, start at $184. Check out all the options here.

StubHub

StubHub has all-session tickets starting at $494. Session 1 seats on March 16 will run you at least $101 each. Meanwhile, session 2 -also on March 16, tickets start at $153. On March 18, the cheapest session 3 seats are $214. Here are all the available options.

Seat Geek

Seat Geek has all-session seats for $552. The best seats, however, jump to $811 each. The lowest prices for March 16′s first session are $86 a seat. Some of the best tickets are going for $938 each. The second session – on the same day – are going for $146 a ticket. On March 18, the third session has tickets for $342 as the cheapest. Check out what Seat Geek has to offer.

WILL CALL

Will Call is located at the BJCC Concert Hall ticket office. Bring a photo ID and the card used to purchase your tickets.

PARKING

Read the full BJCC parking map.

Parking opens two hours before doors open. Parking is pay on site, card only ($20). ADA Parking is available in all BJCC lots. Road closures will be active on Wednesday, March 15 through Saturday, March 18.

SECURITY

All patrons entering the doors at the BJCC are subject to screening, which ranges from visual inspection and bag search to screenings by a metal detector and/or a pat-down search conducted by security personnel. The purpose of the inspection is to detect prohibited items. You can review the BJCC Updated Security Policy, which includes items that are prohibited at all BJCC events.

Bags must be smaller than 14″x14″x6″. They do not have to be clear. Small clutches and wallets are permitted

CASHLESS

Legacy Arena at the BJCC is a cashless facility.

CONCESSIONS

Complaints of long lines at a recent Birmingham Legion soccer game at Protective Stadium and at the high school basketball tournament at Legacy Arena have raised concerns about the NCAA tournament. “The lines will be manageable and short,” Tad Snider, executive director of the BJCC, told AL.com. “We’re committed to that.”

While some venue staff working concessions are based in Birmingham, others from outside the city will be brought in for the event. “For this weekend it’s going to be a blend of both,” Snider said. “The benefit of having a national or international company as your food and beverage partner is they can flex from other locations.”

FOOD/DRINK IN BIRMINGHAM

A stone’s throw away from the BJCC is the Uptown Entertainment District, featuring seven restaurants and a family-owned coffee shop. The restaurants include Uptown Cantina, Texas de Brazil. Mugshots Grill & Bar, Southern Kitchen & Bar, celebrity chef Todd English’s Todd English P.U.B, Your Pie Pizza, Santos Coffee and Eugene’s Hot Chicken.

Other downtown favorites where you can find a delicious meal and/or cocktail include Gus’s Hot Dogs, Chez Fonfon, Bottega Cafe, Cafe Dupont, Galley & Garden, Bettola, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Ocean, Five Point Public House Oyster Bar, El Barrio Restaurante Y Bar and Bamboo on 2nd.

HOTELS

Nearby hotels include the Sheraton Birmingham and the Westin Birmingham. Learn more about where to book a room in the Birmingham area.

Hawkeye Elvis, Auburn Elvis — Greg Suckow (left, as “Hawkeye Elvis”) and Damon Crumley (right, as “Auburn Elvis”)

Elvis Impersonators Bet

Elvis impersonators from Auburn and Iowa recently faced off in a Twitter battle for Elvis supremacy and made a friendly wager that could raise money for children’s hospitals. The bet is simple: If Iowa wins, Crumley as Auburn Elvis will donate to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital that matches the Hawkeyes point total from the game. If Auburn prevails, Hawkeye Elvis will do the same for Children’s Hospital of Alabama based in Birmingham. Read more.

TWITTER

For Alabama coverage, be sure to follow AL.com reporters Mike Rodak, Nick Alvarez, John Talty and Joseph Goodman. You can also follow AL.com’s aldotcomTide or Alabama’s official account at @AlabamaMBB.

For Auburn coverage, follow Tom Green, Nubyjas Wilborn, John Talty and Joseph Goodman. You can also follow AL.com’s aldotcomTigers or Auburn’s official account at @AuburnMBB.