Alabama, Auburn players separated after brief scuffle during exhibition game
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
The NCAA has relaxed its rules for Division 1 teams looking to play exhibition games, starting with the 2026-27 season. D1 teams can play up to two and don’t need to request a waiver to face fellow D1 opponents.
At the end of the day, these are exhibitions. They don’t count. Alabama and Auburn may have missed that memo, though.
The Crimson Tide and Tigers will face each other twice in the regular season: on Jan. 30 in Tuscaloosa and in Auburn on Mar. 6. On Thursday, the archrivals squared off at Legacy Arena in Birmingham for an exhibition that didn’t feel like one for a brief moment.
About four and a half minutes in, a fight for the ball between Alabama junior forward Keitenn Bristow and Auburn forward Thomas Dowd saw some tempers flare up. Eventually, players from both teams began to exchange words before cooler heads prevailed. Even Tide head coach Nate Oats was shown barking at the Tigers’ Kevin Overton.
Take a look:
Thursday’s game was billed as “The Feud.” And it certainly lived up to it in the opening moments.
Again, it’s worth noting that the result of this game doesn’t count in the standings. Still, when the Tide and Tigers meet for real (not once, but twice), don’t be surprised if things come to a boil once again.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
