The rivalry between Auburn and Alabama has heated up on the basketball court over the past several years with Bruce Pearl and Nate Oats raising the bar for what is expected by the two programs.

While speaking at a charity event, the Auburn head coach fired a friendly jab at his cross-state rival and referenced how much cheaper it is to get into an Alabama basketball game than it is at Auburn:

https://twitter.com/WarDamnStool/status/1786222087574638951

Speaking about the Iron Bowl of basketball, Pearl asked someone in the crowd if they were aware of how expensive it is to get into the game at Auburn.

“Have you tried to do that? It’s like 500 bucks to get a ticket. You can go online and get a ticket for five bucks at Coleman Coliseum. War Eagle!” Pearl said as he exited the podium with a laugh.

Since 2021, Auburn or Alabama has won five of the possible six SEC titles.

Alabama won the regular season and tournament titles in 2021 and 2023 while Auburn claimed the regular season title in 2022 and the tournament title this past season.

It’s safe to say Pearl, who formerly coached at Tennessee – another bitter Tide rival, has no love lost for Alabama. But, as long as both coaches are there, their programs will compete for titles and the fierce rivalry will continue to evolve.