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Auburn Becomes College Basketball’s Newest Villain
Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Auburn Becomes College Basketball’s Newest Villain

Originally posted on College Sports Only
By Spencer Rozell  |  Last updated Mar 17, 2026 9:26 AM ET

Step aside Duke, there’s a new college basketball villain in town and it’s Auburn University.

Led by the Pearl family, Auburn’s push for an NCAA Tournament bid has turned into a social media disaster for the Tigers, who, despite all the trouble, will play in the NIT.

It started with Bruce Pearl. After leading Auburn to the Final Four last season, the Tigers’ winningest coach abruptly retired just six weeks before tip-off and installed his son, Steven, a longtime assistant with no head-coaching experience, as the man tasked to lead the way.

Then Bruce Pearl’s new analyst gig with CBS Sports is where the trouble really started. With Auburn on the outside looking in leading up to March, Pearl took to national television to openly trash the then-undefeated Miami (Ohio) Redhawks, who were likely to take Auburn’s spot on the bubble.

When Pearl used the word “we” on air while discussing Auburn’s tournament chances, Miami (Ohio) Athletic Director David Sayler pounced.

It was a damaging episode that raised real questions about whether Pearl could separate his analyst role from his Auburn ties.

Already under scrutiny, Auburn’s case collapsed when the Tigers lost nine of their last 12 games and were eliminated in the second round of the SEC Tournament, finishing with a 17-16 record.

What followed was an Auburn lobbying blitz on social media that infuriated fans, who saw a team with 16 losses trying to leapfrog a 31-1 Miami (Ohio) squad.

Ultimately, Auburn’s record was not enough to secure them an at-large bid into the Big Dance.

Bruce Pearl, who worked as an analyst on the Selection Show, was visibly unhappy at the slight.

After months of national debate, Auburn now looks on to the NIT Tournament, where surely everyone will be rooting against them while they play the mid-majors they said they would’ve beaten all season.

It will be very interesting to see how far Auburn goes in a second-tier postseason tournament.

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