Alabama State Hornets

The Alabama State Hornets play in Montgomery's Dunn-Oliver Acadome, one of the SWAC's signature basketball venues. The Hornets have been a consistent conference contender for decades, capped by a memorable 2025 run that produced the program's first NCAA Tournament win. Alabama State basketball blends deep SWAC roots with a genuine taste of modern March success. It's a program on the rise within one of college basketball's proudest conferences.

Alabama State University, founded in 1867, joined the SWAC in 1932 and has since claimed four regular-season and five tournament championships. The Hornets have reached the NCAA Tournament five times — 2001, 2004, 2009, 2011, and 2025 — and finally broke through with their first tournament victory in the 2025 First Four, beating Saint Francis 70-68. That win capped Alabama State's first SWAC Tournament title since 2011. It stands as the signature moment in program history.