‘A Sweet 16 Game in October:’ Everyone Wins in Heated I.B.O.B. Exhibition

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Money is everything.

This is a universal truth of college athletics that goes back decades and has a particularly negative connotation right now, as purists lament everything from the rampant growth of NIL, to conference realignment, to the countless ongoing NCAA-related court cases, to the expansion of the College Football Playoff. There is plenty to dislike about the state of college sports and the way it affects the fan experience.

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But on Thursday night in Birmingham, money created a showcase that turned into the perfect exhibition basketball game. You will not find a no-stakes contest on a hardwood floor that can deliver the atmosphere, product, and storylines that Alabama’s 87-85 Iron Bowl of Basketball win over Auburn did at Legacy Arena.

“It was definitely a success. It’s Alabama-Auburn, nobody wants to lose,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said. “Got real chippy, those guys played hard. I think part of the reason for us playing is I wanted an intense exhibition game. Like, this is not easily replicable. You don’t get this in practice. You don’t get this in your buy games. This is a rivalry game. This is an SEC game, so to be able to play an SEC game in the middle of October lets you know what you’ve got to work on.”

There is plenty for both teams to work on – Alabama struggled with its ball movement and rebounding. The exhibition provided the Crimson Tide with the perfect amount of pressure for an October game. In a game with no “real” stakes, the only thing on the line was pride. And that pride went a long way.

“It doesn’t really matter that this doesn’t go on anybody’s record,” Oats said. “It’s Alabama and Auburn, and nobody wants to lose to the opponent in this rivalry.”

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The reported attendance was 13,184, a healthy split of both fanbases with Alabama holding a slight edge.

“Thought the crowds were great,” Oats said. ” They went on a seven-zero run to take lead, the crowd got loud. We came back to take the lead, crowd got…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sweet-16-game-october-everyone-110007204.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-23 11:00:00

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