'Asinine': Why Nate Oats Scolded Crowd at Auburn Game

The Crimson Tide head coach went to the microphone in the middle of the game to tell fans to "knock it off" after an object was thrown onto the hardwood.

Feb 15, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats directs his team against the Auburn Tigers during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images | Will McLelland-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Saturday's basketball game in Coleman Coliseum had a couple of first-ever moments.

No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Alabama had never faced off as top-2 opponents, as this was the first time that this scenario occurred in SEC history. But for the first time in Alabama head coach Nate Oats' college coaching career, he went to the microphone in the middle of the game to tell fans to "knock it off" after an object was thrown onto hardwood.

Oats warns Alabama student section to stop throwing objects: “We’re trying to win the basketball game” https://t.co/hGQ0MjJwqD pic.twitter.com/XQsjPv4pZv

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) February 15, 2025

"I have no idea what happened, other than the administration told me somebody threw something on the floor," Oats said during the postgame press conference. "We were going to get a [technical foul] in a game that was going to be tight, not quite sure what the score was at that point. We weren't trying to give away free points. So that was one of our fans, disappointed. Doesn't help us win. Not sure why they'd be throwing something on the floor anyways. It's just asinine.

Alabama was climbing up from a 14-point deficit and found its way back into the Iron Bowl of Basketball at the time of the incident. The Crimson Tide ended up losing the game 94-85 after a few game-sealing plays by the Tigers.

"Don't do dumb stuff. We tell the players not to do dumb stuff, and get flagrants and give the other team free points. We're trying to win the basketball game on a scoreboard. Try to get our players not to do dumb things that give away free points. Try to get the fans not to do dumb things to give away free points."

"It just takes one person to throw something in our attendance of 13,500. 13,499 were hopefully really well-behaved. It takes one person to ruin it for everybody, so let's make sure it doesn't happen again."

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said during the postgame press conference that this was the "loudest Coleman Coliseum has been" since he's coached against the Crimson Tide on the road. The noisiest game wasn't the most positive.