With Win Over Auburn, Nate Oats' Commitment was on Full Display
"That's gonna be their Super Bowl," Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats said.
Oats' words on The Nate Oats Show regarding the No. 3 Crimson Tide's upcoming trip to face the Auburn Tigers slipped through his smiling lips. He likely didn't mean anything of it, likening the game at Neville Arena to the Super Bowl due to its significance to both fan bases and the raucous environment that 'The Plains' has become known for since Bruce Pearl arrived on campus.
The 'Iron Bowl of Basketball' has been fanning the flame of a rivalry that already existed on the football gridiron. While the majority of people still think of football as the primary sport for both the Crimson Tide and the Tigers — and with good reason — the game between the two bitter rivals has seen more and more ferocity in recent years due to both teams' success.
Oats' likening the game to the Super Bowl likely wasn't meant to upset Tigers fans. He was probably simply noting how big the game had gotten and the importance it signifies. For Alabama, its perfect SEC record and two-game lead in the SEC standings was on the line. For Auburn, the game was a chance to correct its course after losing four of its last five games.
Redemption was a quality that Auburn would have to wait to come on another day.
On Saturday afternoon, the Crimson Tide and the Tigers competed on the hardwood in a game that lived up to most everyone's high standards. Gritty and physical, the game was a hard-fought battle for both sides. Ultimately Alabama left Neville Arena with a 77-69 win — its perfect conference record now improved to 12-0.
The Tigers, meanwhile, have now lost five of their last six games. And to add insult to injury, Oats now boasts a 4-3 record of Pearl since his arrival to Tuscaloosa back in 2017.
Some of the insults were a little more intentional, though.
Since Alabama's revival in the world of college basketball, Oats' name has often been mentioned for high-profile jobs once they become open. Seemingly more and more often, fan bases of struggling blue-blood programs have even begun to let their thoughts be known about Oats and his job at Alabama.
In short, they all want him.
Keeping Oats in Tuscaloosa at this point is a no-brainer, and that's why Greg Byrne increased his contract yet again — a very lucrative one made with the intent of keeping Oats at Alabama through at least 2029. With the potential for a new arena on the horizon, fans have been clamoring to get Oats whatever he wants, whenever he wants it.
"Pay the man," is a phrase often seen posted by Alabama fans on social media.
Byrne has indeed now paid the man, with a lot more well on the way. However, the minds of Crimson Tide fans still have yet to fully be put at ease.
Oats' postgame comments following Saturday's win over Auburn should certainly put some of those fears to rest, though. For now, at least.
Following the Crimson Tide's win, Oats took to the mic to meet with reporters in his typical postgame press conference. One quote, though, stood out among the rest.
“I think we get booed whether we win, lose or whatever here," Oats said. "They don’t like Alabama over here very well. But yeah, it’s a lot better to be booed than to have the court stormed and have to try to figure how to get off.
"I know it was their Super Bowl and so it was nice to come win over here. We got their best version, I feel like.”
There it is again — Oats referencing the Super Bowl. This time, however, his roguish grin revealed his motive: his insult was intentional.
Ironically a day before Super Bowl Sunday, Oats had once again hurled an insult towards Auburn. With the Tigers' overall record now falling to 17-8 and its conference record to 7-5, Oats chose to grossly inflate the game's important to the Tigers. His first time mentioning the Super Bowl might have been passed over as an accidental slip-up. The second time, though, showed Oats' true intention to fan the flame of the rivalry.
Oats' heart is in the rivalry, and that's a good sign of confirmation for Alabama fans.
It's easy for a head coach who just recently received a contract extension to express his appreciation and dedication to his team's fans. But it's also just as easy to leave those fans behind for more money and better facilities — something that happens quite often, and something that keeps some Crimson Tide fans up at night.
Oats' joke at the expense of Auburn, however, shows his true dedication to Alabama. He might not be in Tuscaloosa forever, but his current dedication to the Crimson Tide remains strong. And that should certainly help some members of the Alabama fan base to rest a little easier.
See Also:
Alabama Escapes Auburn with 77-69 Win, Stays Undefeated in SEC Play
No. 3 Alabama Silences Raucous Neville Arena for Just Third Time in 11 Years
