Auburn basketball to face fellow Final Four team, Houston, in Birmingham this November
The Tigers will face the Houston Cougars on Sunday, Nov. 16, at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, as part of the Battleground 2k25 event. The game against the Cougars is a return game from last season when Auburn defeated Houston, 74-69, at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl showed his appreciation to Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson for agreeing to schedule the series and feels that last season's early-season win launched Auburn's Final Four campaign. Pearl is also calling on the Auburn fanbase to create a home-like atmosphere in the Magic City.
'We look forward to playing Houston again this season in our backyard in Birmingham,' Pearl said in a press release. 'Last year's matchup of two Final Four teams was one of the most exciting games of our season, and we expect another great game in November. We want Legacy Arena to be filled with orange and blue by the Auburn Family to create an environment that feels like we are inside Neville Arena.'
Auburn's sophomore guard Tahaad Pettiford made a name for himself in last season's game at Houston by scoring 21 points and collecting three assists off the bench in the Tigers' win. Johni Broome recorded 20 points and nine rebounds while Chaney Johnson logged a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards. Auburn outshot Houston, 52% to 41% and outscored the Cougars in the paint, 36-28.
Auburn's game with Houston is the sixth announced nonconference game of the season. The Tigers will face Oregon and Michigan at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas during the week of Thanksgiving, and will host NC State as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Tigers will travel to Indianapolis on Dec. 20 to battle Purdue in a rematch of a game played in Birmingham last season, and will close nonconference play in December by playing Queens University at Neville Arena. The Tigers will also play Oklahoma State and Memphis in exhibition matchups before tipping off the 2025-26 season. The challenging nonconference slate will prepare the Tigers for their grueling SEC schedule that begins Jan. 3, 2026, at Georgia.
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