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.

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

NEW: Alabama and Auburn basketball will meet in an October exhibition game in Birmingham, @_JHokanson reports.

If it sells out, both schools will make six figures, providing a boost to their roster-building efforts.https://t.co/f8ADqq6o8o pic.twitter.com/RZk5uQf6qY
— On3 (@On3) August 26, 2026

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.

“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 Crimson Tide during the 2022-23 season, Auburn is 2-4 across the last three years, and it dropped the last two games against Alabama inside Neville Arena.

That pair of meetings on Auburn’s home floor could certainly be considered heartbreakers, as many fans and students still remember when Mark Sears drained a mid-range floater as the buzzer sounded to lift the Tide to a thrilling 93-91 overtime win over the Tigers’ Final Four squad led by Johni Broome.

More recently, star guard Labaron Philon Jr.’s 25 points powered Alabama to a 96-92 victory this past season, overcoming a four-point halftime deficit to silence a raucous home crowd.

However, Auburn has also seen success against Oats and company — arguably in a more impressive fashion. Bruce Pearl’s Tigers went into Tuscaloosa in 2025 and took down Alabama 94-85 in the SEC’s first-ever AP No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup — Auburn never even trailed.

Nonetheless, despite any recent struggles, the exhibition matchup on Oct. 22 will definitely feature as much juice as you have for a preseason game. Additionally, setting the energy and rivalry aspect aside, it will also serve as a great measuring stick for Steven Pearl to gauge where his team sits just a few weeks out from their season opener in early November.

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