The rivalry between Auburn and Alabama has always been fierce on the gridiron but has seen a revival on the hardwood in recent years.
The battle between teams coached by [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and Nate Oats on the court, as well as the hardwood, over the last four years have brought new energy to the rivalry in a similar fashion as the old clashes between [autotag]Sonny Smith[/autotag] and Wimp Sanderson projected during the 1980s.
As the calendar shifts to March, both Auburn and Alabama will open the NCAA Tournament at Legacy Arena in Birmingham on Thursday. Since both teams will remain in-state to begin the NCAA Tournament, one Auburn legend suggests that fans of both programs will come together to support one another through March Madness.
In a zoom call on Monday, former Tiger [autotag]Charles Barkley[/autotag] says that now postseason play has begun, Auburn fans will cheer for Alabama, and that Alabama fans will return the favor.
“Listen this ain’t football so I think the Alabama-Auburn fans are going to be rooting for each other, that’s just my personal opinion. Alabama and Auburn, we hate them in football and they hate us. When you get to the arena as an Auburn fan, if Alabama is playing you’re going to root for them more than likely. Same thing, I think Alabama fans are going to root for Auburn.”
Auburn enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region and will open their run toward the Final Four on Thursday evening against No. 8 seed Iowa. As for Alabama, the Crimson Tide grabbed the overall No. 1 seed in the South Region.
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