A historic in-state matchup is set for Friday, November 6, 2026, as the Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs travel to Coleman Coliseum to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The matchup will feature Alabama A&M head coach Dawn E. Thornton going head-to-head with Alabama head coach Pauline Love, bringing two Black women head coaches together on the sidelines for a highly anticipated matchup between the HBCU and SEC programs.
While the matchup represents an important moment for women’s basketball, the historical record surrounding Alabama’s program should also be accurately recognized.
Wendell Hudson was the first African-American head coach of the University of Alabama women’s basketball program. Hudson served as Alabama’s head coach from 2008 through 2013, becoming the first Black head coach in the history of the Crimson Tide women’s program.
Now, with Thornton leading Alabama A&M and Love at the helm of Alabama, the November 6 matchup adds another significant chapter to the history of women’s basketball in the state.
The game will take place at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, giving fans an opportunity to witness an HBCU–SEC matchup featuring two programs led by Black women head coaches.
