Auburn One Win Away From Salvaging Season

Though the 2025-26 season was far from a storybook one for the Auburn Tigers, they have a chance to completely redefine their season with an NIT championship win. The Tigers have cruised through the tournament so far, and now they are set to take on Tulsa for the title.

On Saturday, Auburn head coach Steven Pearl previewed his team’s matchup with the Golden Hurricane, and though he is confident in his team, he was clear that the Tigers will have no easy path to a championship win.

“This will probably be the best offensive team we’ve played in the tournament,” Pearl said. “Our guys have got to be in a stance for 40 minutes in this one… They’re going to present their challenges. Our guys will have to continue to stay locked into what we’re doing and stay connected.”

In the Tigers’ last three NIT matchups, they’ve trailed for just eight of 120 total minutes played, a stark contrast from their regular-season blues.

“Auburn did it the right way,” Pearl said. “They didn’t quit. They kept fighting, they kept playing and they ended their season on a high note. We’re going to look to continue that momentum against a really good Tulsa team… we’re obviously excited for the opportunity… we’re here to win it all.”

Like many other teams that the Tigers have played in the NIT, Tulsa shoots the three-ball at an elite level. In fact, the Golden Hurricane has already destroyed its previous three-point program record, making 393 from beyond the arc, 105 more than in 2001, when Tulsa most recently won the NIT.

“They’re a phenomenal three-point shooting team,” Pearl said. “Every single night, as a team, they shoot close to 40% from three, and that has been a struggle of ours this year, and it’s something we’re obviously going to have to look into.”

As such, it is no mystery why the 30-7 Golden Hurricane has made its way to the NIT championship once again, and they will serve as effectively the “final boss” of a Tiger season marred by disappointment.

“This is a team that would win,” Pearl said. “They’d finish somewhere around where we did in our league. They had a great year this year, I think they were one of 11 teams with 30 wins this year, and that’s significant.”

And, likely the most important question (at least for social media): what will Pearl wear for the Tigers’ matchup against Tulsa? Pearl’s fashion choice of a hooded rain jacket/blazer was highly talked about during and after the Tigers’ previous matchup with Illinois State.

“I got a few options for the next one,” Pearl said with a slight chuckle. “It’s kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, or whatever my wife tells me she likes the most. We’ll see what kind of mood I’m in on Sunday night.”

The Tigers, who are red-hot coming into their final matchup of the season, are slated to take on Tulsa this Sunday at 7 p.m. CDT. Coverage can be found on ESPN 2 and ESPN Unlimited.

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