Thursday night's game between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide in Birmingham won't make the record books, but don't tell the players, coaches, and fans in attendance.

The event, appropriately titled "The Feud," got testy early. Auburn and Alabama players clashed just under five minutes in after Auburn's Thomas Dowd and Alabama's Keitenn Bristow got tied up under the basket. The skirmish led to players pushing and shoving, and even a confrontation between Auburn head coach Steven Pearl and Alabama head coach Nate Oats.

Frustrations continued in the post-game handshake line. Auburn's Caleb Williams had words with two Alabama players, leading Auburn's George Kimbell to shove one of the Crimson-clad players in Williams' defense.

Between scrums, the Tigers and Tide played a physical basketball game that ended with Alabama on top, 87-85.

Pearl, who was visibly frustrated with his team's physicality in their first preseason game, shared what he told his players after the first dust-up.

“Just keep fighting. Just keep fighting. Keep your head," Pearl said postgame (via Tyler Raley from Auburn Undercover). "Understand that the referees are going to be looking for anything at this point, and you can't give them an excuse to call any silly fouls.”

It was rare to see these two long-time in-state SEC rivals meet on the hardwood in a preseason exhibition. Although the game does not affect either team's record, Pearl says he saw shades of March in the late-October scrimmage.

“That felt like a Sweet Sixteen game in October. Both fanbases did a great job. That was a hell of an environment for college basketball," Pearl said.

Auburn will play one more exhibition before opening up the 2026-27 season. The Tigers will face Samford next Thursday, Oct. 29, at Neville Arena in its final scrimmage before its season opener on Nov. 4 against Southeastern Louisiana.