Auburn Basketball to Face Arch Rival in Exhibition Iron Bowl of Basketball

The Auburn Tigers are set to take on their arch rival in what could be one of college basketball’s most anticipated preseason exhibitions ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Auburn will face head coach Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday, Oct. 22 at BJCC Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., according to a report from On3’s Justin Hokanson on Wednesday morning.

Advertisement

The event will bring significant NIL benefits to both schools, as On3 reports they will each receive six figures if the arena sells out.

The clash between the two in-state rivals is the second exhibition for Auburn and Alabama, as they will both participate in “Ballin’ in Boutwell” just one week prior. The Tigers are slated to play Florida State on Oct. 14 before the Crimson Tide will face off against Ole Miss the next day on Oct. 15 at Boutwell Auditorium.

The matchup, although technically unofficial, will mark the first of at least three meetings between Auburn and Alabama, with their other two games scheduled for Jan. 30 at Coleman Coliseum and March 6 at Neville Arena to wrap up the regular season.

Advertisement

“Our goal in scheduling exhibition games is to play quality opponents to test ourselves before the season official begins,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl said in a release. “Playing a team like Alabama provides us an incredible opportunity to accomplish that goal, while obviously giving our fans, our state and the entire basketball world a unique opportunity to see two rivals face off at a neutral site. The entire nation will be watching, and we are excited to represent Auburn University in what will be an unprecedented exhibition event.”

Tickets will be available for pre-sale starting on Aug. 27 before the general public gain access on Sept. 1. The arena of almost 18,000 seats will be split down the middle, with Auburn and Alabama fans sitting on opposite sides.

As of late, despite Auburn’s Final Four run in 2025, Alabama has had the Tigers’ number in recent years. After sweeping the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/auburn-basketball-face-arch-rival-161739515.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-08-26 16:17:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.