Updated March 20, 2026, 4:09 p.m. CT
Charles Barkley took a joke and ran with it. So far, maybe, that he could have added a recreation to Auburn basketball‘s nonconference schedule next season.
During 4-seed Alabama‘s first-round NCAA Tournament matchup with 13-seed Hofstra, the Auburn legend was greeted from a industrial break throughout TNT’s halftime protection with a graphic High Point posted to social media, saying it’d safe Barkley an eligibility waiver to play for the Panthers next year.
Eventually, Barkley “guar-an-teed” his alma mater would face High Point throughout its 2026-27 marketing campaign.
“The coach and his enthusiasm, and then the stuff he talked about after the game was, to me, really poignant and important,” Barkley mentioned in reference to the Panthers. “Some of these big schools got to start playing some of these mid-majors. They’ve got to schedule them, because the big schools do not get their schedule held against them.”
Barkley’s feedback had been in reference to High Point head coach’s Flynn Clayman’s remarks following his Twelfth-seeded Panthers’ upset of 5-seed Wisconsin on Thursday.
“It seems to be fairly apparent to me that high-majors have to play mid-majors throughout the season, as a result of they mentioned we ain’t performed no one, “Clayman said. “We performed anyone now. … Nobody would play us, identical to they wouldn’t play Miami (Ohio). But they have to play us on this event.”
Barkley’s promise continued explicitly, saying, “I’m telling you, proper now: Auburn’s going to play High Point next year. … I’m going to name Steve(n) Pearl and AD (John) Cohen. We’re enjoying High Point next year. … I’m talking for Auburn.”
As for where? Barkley explained that heading into the next commercial break.
“A impartial website,” he said. “We may play a neutral-site someplace proper in between. They can come to Auburn. We’ve received loads of accommodations.”
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email atacole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter,@colereporter. To support Adam’s work, pleasesubscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
