Auburn basketball flight rerouted due to altercation between players
Feb 8, 2022; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won 80-76. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
The Auburn men’s basketball team saw its flight get turned around on Friday for a very surprising reason.
According to Jeff Goodman of Field of 68, the Auburn men’s basketball team was headed to the University of Houston on Friday for their Saturday game against the No. 4 Cougars when the plane had to return home due to “horseplay between players” that “could have escalated into a fight.”
Auburn plane returned back home due to horseplay between players on the flight that could have escalated into a fight, source told @TheFieldOf68.
Auburn was about 45 minutes en route and had to return home. Source said they are expected to take another plane to Houston later…
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 9, 2024
Justin Hokanson, who reports on Auburn for On3, said he had been told there was an “altercation on the plane between players.” Hoaknson did not provide further details.
Apparently Auburn’s basketball team had a melee on the airplane to Houston, sufficient to get the flight diverted. That entire athletic department is a dumpster fire. pic.twitter.com/NOxPdaHuQE
— Roll ‘Bama Roll (@rollbamaroll) November 8, 2024
While it is unclear what happened, the incident was serious enough that Auburn’s plane was diverted back to Alabama.
Auburn is coming off a 27-8 season and expectations are high for the upcoming campaign. Bruce Pearl’s programs have faced questions about a lack of discipline in the past, and this is not exactly a great sign.