Auburn basketball (17-16, SEC 7-11) is among the first four out of the 2026 NCAA Tournament in first time since 2021.

After sitting as a bubble team for the last month and a half, the Tigers just could not find a winning streak in their last 10 games of the season. Only putting a win in the win column just two times in that stretch. It became a topic of conversation nationally whether Auburn deserved to make it in compared to Miami (OH), which went undefeated in its regular season. The debate sparked when former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl stated that it was not the “most deserving,” instead it should be the best teams in the tournament when speaking on Miami (OH). Here we are on Selection Sunday, and Auburn is out, and Miami (OH) is in.

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During the CBS Selection Sunday broadcast, Pearl said he was “proud of my son,” Steven Pearl, in his first year leading the Tigers. Bruce Pearl retired on Sept. 22, 2025, right before the season was to begin. Immediately, it was announced that his son, Steven Pearl, would be the next up for Auburn as their head coach.

Many thought it was clearly Bruce Pearl getting his son the job. While it was thought and said, eventually Bruce Pearl just came out and said the obvious himself. “Am I rooting for my son to make the NCAA tournament? Of course I am. Did I help my son get the job? Nepotism? Of course I did,” said Bruce Pearl during an interview with OutKick.

In Steven Pearl’s debut season as head coach of the program, the Tigers had one of the toughest schedules in college basketball. KenPom ranked their strength of schedule No. 4 in the nation. In their non-conference matchups, Auburn went 9-4 during that stretch to open the 2026 season. The Tigers picked up some impressive wins with their wins over St. John’s (85-74) and NC State (83-73). Though when facing some other top teams, the Tigers were throttled by Michigan (102-72), Arizona (97-68), and Purdue (88-60).

It is the first time since 2021 that the Tigers will not be dancing in March. They were among the first four out of the NCAA Tournament that also included Oklahoma, San Diego St and Indiana. The first four in the tournament were NC State, Texas, SMU, and Miami (OH). Next for Auburn is a matter of whether they accept an invitation to the NIT.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn basketball first four out of NCAA Tournament