Nate Oats addresses lighting issues in Auburn game

Alabama‘s 79-75 upset over No. 8 Auburn got off to an interesting start when less than a minute after the opening tip, the lights went out in Coleman Coliseum.

The officials let the game play for a few possessions, but ultimately halted the game for over 15 minutes while the lights were being fixed. Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats explained the issue and why it caused such a lengthy delay.

“We’ve got all new lights in there. That’s never happened. They didn’t flip over from the red to the regular lights, and we were trying to figure out if we could play in the dark,” Oats explained postgame. “Then we had to make sure that both ends had the same lighting or it wouldn’t have been fair. So we were trying to figure all that and keep the guys warm. It was odd. I’ve never been involved with something like that.”

After the game, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl joked about the lighting issue, saying that if Alabama wanted to get a new basketball facility, all they had to do was ask. They didn’t have to turn out the lights.

The joke stems from an uncommitted promise from the Alabama athletic department stating that they plans for a new basketball arena in February 2022 to replace Coleman Coliseum. That was never followed up on and with athletic director Greg Byrne stating the enormous costs for a brand new facility. The means that Alabama’s current arena, which was built in 1968 and holds over 15,000 fans, is here to stay.

Electrical issues aside, the fans inside the stadium are what willed the Crimson Tide to a tight victory over their in-state rival. For that, Nate Oats credited the Alabama faithful after the game.

“The crowd was unbelievable. We needed the crowd tonight and they showed up in a big way,” Oats said. “The noise levels got big. I think our guys play off the crowd. We need the crowd show up on Saturday. We need every home game in the SEC to look like that if we’re going to try to win this thing. We’re tied for first place right now, so we’re going after it again.”

Next up for the Crimson Tide is a home stand against LSU on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET live on ESPN. KenPom gives Alabama a 91 percent chance of sending the Tigers back to Baton Rouge with a loss.