Auburn Chooses NIT Bid After NCAA Tournament Miss
Auburn accepted a bid to the NIT on Sunday after missing the NCAA tournament. Head coach Steven Pearl addressed the choice on Monday. The decision drew attention because high-major teams rarely take the NIT these days.
Pearl explains the decision
Pearl said he intends to keep coaching and competing. He rejected the idea of abandoning the season because the team did not make the NCAA tournament.
He framed the NIT as an opportunity for players to compete on a stage. As of Monday afternoon, no Auburn players had told staff they planned to opt out.
Season context and program history
This marks Auburn’s first NCAA tournament miss since 2021. That year the program self-imposed a postseason ban and finished 13-14.
Auburn has not been in the NIT since 2009. Then-coach Jeff Lebo led the Tigers to the quarterfinals before a loss to Baylor.
Tournament seeding and first-round opponent
The Tigers earned the No. 1 seed in this year’s NIT. Auburn will have home-court advantage through the early rounds.
Semifinals and the final will be played in Indianapolis. Auburn opens against South Alabama, which enters at 21-11 and lost in the first round of the Sun Belt tournament.
South Alabama’s all-time record versus Auburn stands at 4-8.
Motivation and outlook
Pearl said he will not change his normal coaching approach to motivate the team. He emphasized finding joy in playing and competing.
He acknowledged the program’s goal remains NCAA participation each season. Still, he favored keeping the team together and accepting the NIT bid.
Filmogaz.com will monitor Auburn’s NIT run. Expect further updates as the tournament progresses. We will report developments and game coverage.
