Auburn coach Steven Pearl made a case for his team to get a spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament after it suffered a 96-84 loss to Alabama in its regular-season finale on Saturday. The Tigers finished the 2025-26 regular season with a 17-15 (7-11 Southeastern Conference) record, earning the No. 12 seed for the SEC Tournament.
However, despite a rather poor regular-season finish, the Tigers still have a few ways they can qualify for March Madness.
Auburn advanced to the second round of the SEC Tournament with a 77-61 win over No. 13 seed Mississippi State on Wednesday. That win improved the Tigers’ chances of making the NCAA Tournament bracket.
Auburn will face No. 5 Tennessee in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday. However, ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has suggested that the Tigers might not even need to win against the Vols to make it to March Madness, depending on results elsewhere.
“Auburn had a great day, and most of it did not happen in their own game,” Lunardi said on the SEC Network on Wednesday. “You mentioned the losses by Indiana and others. The bubble teams – we’re having a week where no one wants to be the last team in this tournament. And being the last team on the board isn’t a great spot on the Wednesday before selections, but it is when there may not be many bid thieves. Two years ago, we had five. Last year, we had zero.”
“But you’re talking about the major conferences, Auburn needs to be rooting for Miami (OH) and Saint Louis once we get into those tournaments later in the week. That’s where their fate is really going to lie. And if everything goes right for them, I’m saying it right now, they don’t even have to win tomorrow.”
One way that Auburn can guarantee a place in March Madness would be to win the SEC Tournament. However, it’s somewhat unrealistic for Pearl’s team to win the conference tournament due to the high level of competition in the Southeastern Conference.
Nonetheless, a win over Tennessee would ideally give Auburn a great shot at making the NCAA Tournament.
How To Watch Auburn vs. Tennessee? TV Schedule and Live Stream Details for SEC Tournament Clash
The Auburn vs. Tennessee clash on Thursday will be broadcast live on the SEC Network. The game will tip off at 3 p.m. ET from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
Fans can also live stream the Auburn vs. Tennessee game on Fubo.
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