5 things to know before the season’s first Iron Bowl of Basketball

For the first time this season, the Alabama and Auburn men’s basketball teams are set to square off.

The two teams will take the court at Neville Arena on Saturday with identical conference records, putting a little higher stakes than just rivalry bragging rights on the line.

While the Tide took down SEC leader Texas A&M on Wednesday night, Auburn has been off since losing to Tennessee last Saturday and have been itching to get back to their home crowd. Here’s a quick breakdown before tip-off:

• Who: Alabama Crimson Tide (15-7, 5-4 SEC) at Auburn Tigers (14-8, 5-4 SEC)
• When: 3PM | Saturday, Feb. 7
• Where: Neville Arena | Auburn, AL
• Watch: ESPN2
• Tickets

Keep reading for more about what you need to know about the big game in our state this weekend.

Ticket prices

To no surprise, Saturday’s rivalry game has been sold out for months but the resale market is not as outrageous as it was last season when both teams had national championship aspirations.

Still, if you’re a student, expect to get in line early to have a chance at a seat. And don’t be surprised to see tents popping up between now and Friday night as Tigers camp out in the cold to get a good spot in the student section.

If you just want a ticketed seat, you’ll have to hit one of the ticket sites. Here’s some of the prices on the market as of 2PM Thursday:

It may not be the same as last year’s historic No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup but this game clearly means a lot to the fans. And it’ll cost you to get to see this one in person.

Series history

The two teams split last year’s meetings with the visiting team winning both games. That was the first time in the rivalry’s history that Auburn won in Tuscaloosa and Alabama won in Auburn in the same season.

But that has been the trend in recent years as not much has separated the two programs. Alabama and Auburn have split their regular season meetings in each of the last two seasons and three times in the last five years.

Over the last 10 years, Auburn leads the series 11-10 with Alabama claiming the two teams’ only postseason meeting. 13 of those were decided by single digits with three of them going to overtime.

The last time Alabama traveled to Auburn, former Tide star Mark Sears knocked down a floater at the buzzer to upset the top-ranked Tigers on their home court. You can expect revenge will be on the mind for fans in attendance.

Charles Bediako

Another major part of Saturday’s game (and crowd noise) will be determined Friday when a judge rules on whether Charles Bediako remains eligible to play for the Crimson Tide.

Bediako, who has played the last four games for Alabama, has had his eligibility scrutinized by opposing fans since he returned to Tuscaloosa. If he remains eligible and takes the court Saturday, I’d expect Auburn fans will come together in full force to let the big man know their thoughts on the matter.

If Bediako does not get to play again, the Crimson Tide will go back to a heavy dose of Aiden Sherrell with the potential of more minutes for Noah Williamson.

SEC basketball standings

Alabama, Auburn enter rivalry matchup unranked for first time since 2021

Alabama and Auburn both sit just above .500 in league but are only two games back of SEC leaders Florida and Texas A&M. Since the Tigers already have a win over Florida and Alabama has a win over the Aggies, both teams still have their sights on a regular season conference title.

The two teams are currently in a three-way tie with Missouri for seventh place in the standings. The winner of Saturday’s game would have an inside track at reaching the top four + a double bye in the SEC Tournament while the loser would have to start worrying about playing on Wednesday in Nashville.

Alabama has just two games remaining against teams currently in the top six of the conference. On the bright side for Tide fans, that could mean an easier path but it also means less control over the regular season title.

Meanwhile, the Tigers’ schedule is about to ramp up with three of the four games following Saturday’s rivalry against the SEC’s top six.

The rematch

Just like last season, the two teams will meet again in the regular season finale but this time at Coleman Coliseum. The two teams will have a final chance to secure seeding in the SEC Tournament and put another big game on their NCAA Tournament resumes.

Here’s what to know about the second matchup, exactly one month from Saturday:

• Who: Auburn Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide
• When: 7:30PM | Saturday, March 7
• Where: Coleman Coliseum | Tuscaloosa, AL
• Watch: ESPN
• Tickets

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