For the first time since 2021, Auburn won’t be participating in the NCAA Tournament after a disappointing season in which the Tigers went 17-16, including 7-11 in SEC play, in Steven Pearl’s first season as head coach on the Plains.
Instead of being upset and calling it a season, the Tigers decided to accept a bid to the NIT, in which they will host South Alabama on Tuesday night in Neville Arena as a No. 1 seed.
While some schools often opt out of the NIT after seeing their bubble burst on Selection Sunday, Pearl had a different attitude.