Auburn will be playing Alabama in a special exhibition on October 26 at the BJCC, officially dubbed "The Feud Presented by Shipt Same Day Delivery." Per On3's Justin Hokanson, the presale for the event will be from August 27-31, with the general public then getting the chance to purchase tickets on September 1.
This is the first of its kind. In all likelihood, if it works out, it won't be the last. Auburn's fanbase is a major reason why this happened in the first place. The Tigers sold out the Legacy Arena during a No. 1-No. 9 seeded Round of 32 matchup back in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
The last time these two teams played in the Magic City was in 1986. It's been eight years since the two teams played at a neutral site. That took place during the 2018 SEC Tournament at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
Auburn could set the tone for Steven Pearl's second season against the Crimson Tide with an exhibition that will have more intensity than any preseason game in memory. This is a genius idea to partake in for the BJCC and Birmingham's economy, which will take a hit without the UFL and the Birmingham Stallions.
Keyshawn Hall chooses St. John's, but his eligibility is still unclear
Keyshawn Hall will not be taking part in the Auburn-Alabama exhibition matchup. If Hall is granted eligibility to play at all in 2026-27, he'll be on Rick Pitino's St. John's Red Storm instead. St. John's will be Hall's fifth and final team, if he is allowed to play.
Hall's lawsuit in Ohio, which includes several other recruits from the 2022 high school class, has seen a stay granted to the NCAA to block those players from playing during this upcoming athletic calendar. The players had previously received an injunction to play. The Big East hasn't addressed the college basketball-to-NBA-to-college basketball pipeline like the Big Ten and SEC have. We'll see if the Big East joins them.
If Hall is allowed to play, he'll have his way with Big East defenses. While there's no modern powerhouse on UConn's level in the SEC, the depth of the "It Just Means More" conference is the ocean floor compared to the bottom of the Big East.
Hall had 19.3 points per game on the Plains on a 45/38/86 shooting split. He'll most certainly up his usage and see a scoring bump on St. John's if he's allowed to play in New York City for his final go-round. How Hall gets along with Pitino will be a defining question for the Red Storm if it gets that far. Of course, Hall's relationship with Pearl was strained, with Hall getting suspended last season for disciplinary reasons. The record must also show he did help the Tigers win the NIT, though, giving a happy ending to Hall's one year in Lee County, Alabama.
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