The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman reported that "horseplay" on the Auburn basketball team plane led to the flight being grounded, a rumor that got hot on social media Friday night ahead of the Tigers' November 9 matchup with Houston at the Toyota Center.
While en route to the Space City, things almost got violent on the plane; forcing the team to take a later flight.
"Auburn plane returned back home due to horseplay between players on the flight that could have escalated into a fight, source told The Field of 68," Goodman wrote. "Auburn was about 45 minutes en route and had to return home. Source said they are expected to take another plane to Houston later tonight."
Johni Broome gave Tiger haters the perfect ammunition while speaking to reporters before the incident -- claiming that the team needed to "be physical" and "ready for battle."
“They're a very good team,” Broome said (h/t On SI). “With who they have on the defensive side, they're gonna try to out rebound us and be more physical than us, but we gotta be the more excited team to play. We have to bring the energy and be physical, be ready for a battle.”
Auburn basketball coming off dominant win in season opener
Auburn is coming off a 51-point victory over Vermont in their 2024-25 season opener. The players cannot have disagreements about the team's play. Not during their first game, anyway.
Whatever the issue is, it appears sorted. No suspensions have been announced. Stay tuned to see if that changes.