The Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers’ rivalry has always been one of the most iconic in all of college football, but in the last half decade or so that intensity has transferred over to the basketball court as well.
This season, in particular, has been a showcase of the talent and resources each program has on hand with both teams ranking in the top-five nationally and each looking like a legitimate national title contender. Additionally, the teams are led by two of the most accomplished head coaches in SEC history, Nate Oats and Bruce Pearl.
While all of the success is phenomenal for basketball in the state, it’s not so good for fans who want to buy a ticket to see the Iron Bowl of Basketball matchups.
According to prices through TickPick and SeatGeek, Tide and Tiger fans who want to see the game a few weeks from now in Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum on February 15 cannot get into the building for less than $300, a truly mind-boggling price for a basketball game in the Yellowhammer State.
Auburn has also been dealing with ticket price issues for several years now due to limited capacity at Neville Arena. Fans who want to attend the final game of the regular season for both teams on March 8 will not be able to get a seat for less than $600.
On one hand, it is thrilling that there’s so much interest in the sport on the hardwood within the state of Alabama, but loyal fans who want to attend games find themselves in a tough spot with ticket price issues. Seeing basketball become this popular in Alabama should be looked at as a positive, but like all things, it clearly comes with a major price.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.