There is expected to be a different kind of buzz inside the Dunn-Oliver Acadome tonight.
That’s because the Alabama State men’s basketball team is hosting USC and Bronny James in a nationally televised game on ESPN+ at 6 p.m.
Every seat in the building — all 7,500 — is sold, a rarity for a Hornets men’s or women’s game, said longtime Alabama State spokesperson Travis Jarome.
“In the seven years I’ve been here, there hasn’t been a non-conference game here that has been a sellout,” Jarome told HBCU Sports about the magnitude of the game. “I think it is about (Bronny James), and USC coming to town has a little bit to do with it because it’s rare that a Power Five team has visited Montgomery.”
The matchup is part of the second year that Pac-12 schools have committed to nonconference games at SWAC schools as part of the Legacy Series.
Tuesday will also mark the third game Bronny James, the son of NBA legend LeBron James, has played since being medically cleared after suffering cardiac arrest in the offseason.
The heightened attention on the game — from the presence of national media — only enhances the Alabama State profile to a wider audience.
“The City of Montgomery has really supported it and bought tickets,” Jerome said. “Not only is there going to be a buzz inside the arena but there are going to be thousands and even millions of people watching at home.
It’s a different feeling when you have a team like USC coming in, and the house is going to be packed. Sometimes you have that feeling something special is going to happen. Something special is going to happen tonight.
