When losing looked inevitable in the final minutes, many of the people who made Coleman Coliseum a cauldron of noise during the biggest college basketball game in Alabama state history started filing out in bulk. And with 47.2 seconds left, here came the jarringly loud insult to injury:
A surprising number of visiting fans had infiltrated enemy territory, paying steep prices on the secondary market to do so, and they were loud and proud at the end. This Auburn sass triggered one Alabama Crimson Tide backer sitting in the section behind one of the baskets, seemingly more than the basketball itself. He raised his hands to his mouth and booed in response with a trembling fury. 
Moments later, after the 94–85 Tigers triumph went final, another Alabama fan leaned over the railing to berate the officials as they left the court. At various points, fans signaled smartly for flopping calls and offensive players hooking defenders on spin moves.
It was almost like these were basketball schools. These were scenes comparable to what you’d see in Duke-North Carolina, Louisville-Kentucky or Indiana-Purdue.
“I’ve never heard Coleman this loud,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said.
During the second half, there had been a brief cessation in play after someone threw something on the court, prompting Alabama coach Nate Oats to take the P.A. microphone and chastise, “Whoever’s throwing stuff on the court, knock it off. We’re trying to win the basketball game.” Prior to tip-off, a very loud “F— you Auburn” chant enveloped the arena.
Thus on this February Saturday in 2025, the Iron Bowl of basketball (IBOB, in the local shorthand) was very nearly as heated as the more famous chinstrap version of the rivalry. The state of Alabama is arguably the nation’s capital of college football—not just all the winning, but the pervasive interest. The Birmingham TV market annually draws the highest audience shares in America for college football.
