Alabama, Auburn Miss the Big Dance
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People are now filling out their NCAA tournament brackets but you won’t see Alabama or Auburn on them.
Both schools are trying to rebuild their basketball programs but do they have the fan support?
The first round of March Madness begins Tuesday but fans of the Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers won’t see their teams in the tournament. The last time Alabama made an appearance was in 2012, for Auburn, it was 2003.
“The interest in basketball in this state is just not there,” says Don Jackson.
Jackson is a Montgomery-based sports attorney who represents both athletes and coaches in and out of state. He says aside from there being a higher level of fan interest for college football, recruiting for Alabama’s basketball programs is often difficult.
“It’s not very easy for coaches to come into this state and consistently recruit high level student athletes,” he says. “When you can’t point to that final four, to that elite right, to that sweet sixteen run, it’s not so easy to recruit.”
Alabama and Auburn fans we spoke with say they believe there is a different standard for basketball in the state.
“It’s relevant now,” says one Alabama fan. “But it’s not going to be football because of the late coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, because of Nick Saban. So the bottom line is just, it can never be.”
“Football, you have more people, more tail gaiting, outside cooking,” says Marie Green. “You know, just being around different friends.”
Some say other states also favor football over basketball.
“My husband is former military and everywhere we’ve ever lived, there was a rivalry,” says Donnie Hannon. “Nebraska was crazy. I’m from Georgia and they go nuts.”
And Jackson says it’s the success that Alabama’s basketball programs lack, that would make the sport more relevant here.
“It would take a fairly lengthy period of high level performance by all of the colleges here to elevate the interest in basketball in this state.”
