Auburn Basketball Adds 2 Big Ten Opponents to Nonconference Schedule

The Auburn Tigers’ first two matchups in the second annual Las Vegas-based Players Era Festival have been set.

The Tigers will kick off the week against Oregon on Monday, Nov. 24, followed by a Sweet Sixteen rematch with Michigan on Tuesday, Nov. 25, per Matt Norlander on CBS Sports.

Teams that go 2-0 in the first two days will ‘pool into’ the championship round on Wednesday, when a championship and 3rd place game will be played. Since it is highly likely more than a couple of teams will boast a 2-0 record after Tuesday, total points scored, point differential, and points allowed will all be accounted for and serve as tiebreakers, if necessary.

The festival is composed of 18 teams – 10 of which are in Gary Parrish’s Top 25 And 1 – and includes big basketball brands like Kansas, Iowa State, Houston, Michigan, St. John’s, Tennessee, Gonzaga, and more. The field will also host Alabama, which could be a possible opponent on Wednesday if both Auburn and the Crimson Tide win on Monday and Tuesday. 

This November will mark just the second meeting ever between Auburn and Oregon. Coincidentally enough, the first was also in Las Vegas in 2000, the Tigers emerging victorious 101-97. 

Tuesday’s matchup against Michigan will be must-see television, as the Wolverines are fresh off a Sweet Sixteen loss to the Tigers in Atlanta. The 78-65 Auburn win propelled the Tigers to the Elite Eight against Michigan State and eventually the program’s second Final Four berth. 

However, former Auburn guard Tre Donaldson will no longer be a storyline heading into the game. Donaldson is now playing for new head coach Jai Lucas and the Miami Hurricanes after entering the transfer portal at the end of last season.

In recent history, Auburn has been successful against Big Ten opponents. The Tigers are 6-0 against Big Ten squads since 2022-23, including wins over Purdue, Ohio State, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan State, and Michigan.

Auburn has yet another gauntlet waiting for Bruce Pearl and company this fall. The Tigers’ nonconference slate already includes matchups against Purdue in Indianapolis, Houston in Birmingham, NC State in the SEC/ACC challenge, and a road trip to Arizona. Combined with last year’s historically brutal schedule, this is shaping up to be the toughest pair of nonconference slates the program has ever faced.