A year had passed since Auburn found themselves fortunate, landing a No. 9 spot and playing in Birmingham. This time around, Bruce Pearl, the head coach, couldn’t hide his disappointment. Despite clinching the SEC Tournament championship, Auburn was assigned a No. 4 seed and had to travel all the way to Spokane.
Auburn was placed in the East Region, facing off against the No. 13 seed Yale. The group also included No. 5 seed San Diego State and No. 12 seed UAB.
Bruce Pearl shared his thoughts with local reporters at the team’s hotel following the Selection Show. “It seems like there’s been a lot of talk about us heading to Spokane,” he said. “Maybe that’s typical for a No. 4 seed. We had hoped that winning the SEC Tournament and our position in the NET rankings would elevate us to a No. 3 seed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Maybe this is a consequence of our advantageous position last year in Birmingham. It’s quite a journey for our fans, and it’s not the first time. We’ve had to travel far before – to San Diego, Salt Lake City, and now Spokane.”
Auburn has a history of performing well, even when traveling far for games. The team made it to the Final Four in 2019 after playing in Salt Lake City during the first weekend.
The schedule for Auburn’s upcoming game against Yale on Friday hasn’t been announced yet, but Auburn is starting as the favored team, with an 11.5 point advantage over Yale.
During Pearl’s press conference, it was revealed that Alabama had also been placed in a pod playing in Spokane. This means that three teams from Alabama will be making the long trip across the country.
Pearl summed up the situation with a simple statement: “Auburn, Alabama, and UAB all in Spokane, Washington? That says it all.”
Matt Cohen, who covers sports for AL.com, can be followed on Twitter @Matt_Cohen_ or reached via email at mcohen@al.com.