Sports

Nate Oats Cusses Out Auburn Player In Meaningless Game After Excessive Shove Clears Benches

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iStockphoto / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Nate Oats reacts from the sidelines during an Alabama basketball game.


The Auburn basketball team faced Alabama in an exhibition matchup before the start of the 2026-27 season. Don’t tell Nate Oats that the game didn’t matter.

The Crimson Tide coach cussed out a Tigers player in a tense on-court confrontation. An excessive shove cleared benches. Oats lost his mind.

These two schools do not like each other. I figured the football teams would be the first to throw fisticuffs in the rivalry. I was wrong!

The Tide and Tigers met on Thursday night at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. The stands were split down the middle. Half blue and orange. Half crimson and white. The game absolutely delivered.

Alabama narrowly escaped Auburn.

The Tide won the game by two points. They own preseason bragging rights.

The matchup came down to the final seconds. Auburn led by a bucket with four minutes left. Alabama closed the gap. They grabbed a one-point advantage inside of a minute. After forcing a defensive stop, they ended the game on free throws.

While the game was exciting for fans and productive for players, it was meaningless in terms of season outlook. It will not count towards the regular season standings. Each team is still 0-0.

Nate Oats didn’t get the memo. His emotions got the better of him during the clash.

Nate Oats cussed out an Auburn player.

Five minutes into the first half of the exhibition, Alabama’s Keitenn Bristow got tangled up with Auburn’s Thomas Dowd under the hoop battling for the basketball. Tempers flared.

The two players fell to the floor fighting for a rebound. Teammates from each side rushed over to separate the scuffle. Tigers guard Kevin Overton came in late and appeared to shove an Alabama player to the ground. Nate Oats quickly left the bench to support his guy.

I’m not a professional lip reader, but he appeared to tell Overton to “get the f— out of here.” He then relayed that same message to Steven Pearl.

Coaches from each side left their seats. Eventually, cooler heads prevailed, though Pearl did his part to rile up fans and players after returning to the bench.

Emotions would be held in check for the next 35 minutes of game action before another spat broke out after the final whistle. It was chippy. Again, this was an exhibition!

Rivalry hate in the state of Alabama is just different. Bragging rights matter, even if the result doesn’t count in the win-loss column.

For fans, it’s a precursor of things to come. Alabama and Auburn will face off twice in the regular season. The outcomes will matter then. These might not be the last fireworks we see.