Bruce Pearl jokes Alabama doesn't have to 'turn the lights off' to get new basketball facility

Wednesday night’s game between Alabama and Auburn got off to an interesting start, to say the least. Less than 30 seconds in, officials stopped play because the lights at Coleman Coliseum didn’t turn on after starting lineups, resulting in a 15-minute delay.

Nate Oats and Bruce Pearl talked during the delay as their teams waited to take the court again. As it turned out, the Auburn coach had jokes.

“If you guys want a new facility, just get a new facility,” Pearl told Oats, via BOL’s Charlie Potter. “You don’t have to turn the lights off.”

Of course, Oats also had some fun about the situation, pointing out Auburn made its first shot of the game with the lights off on a three-pointer by Johni Broome. Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne actually pointed out the lights were new to the arena, according to AL.com’s Michael Casagrande, adding to the humor in the situation.

“We were fortunate that they didn’t shoot it well,” Oats said. “They shot it better with the lights off. Maybe they should have requested to keep the lights off.”

Alabama announced plans for a new basketball arena in February 2022 to replace Coleman, which was built in 1968 and holds 15,383 fans. However, there haven’t been many updates since, with Byrne addressing the next steps during the SEC spring meetings last year. He pointed out the rising costs since the new arena plan was announced, but said it’s not an “excuse.”

“I know some people think it’s an excuse,” Byrne said at the time, via AL.com. “It’s not. It’s a reality. The costs have gone up about $100 million in a year.”

Wednesday’s game marked Auburn’s first SEC loss of the season as the Tigers dropped to 16-3 overall. It got close late as they took a lead in the second half, but Alabama eventually battled back and held on to come away with the 79-75 victory.

Mark Sears led the charge for the Crimson Tide with 22 points and eight assists while Grant Nelson added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Rylan Griffen also added some big-time shots early as he totaled 17 points with a 5-for-10 showing from three-point territory.

Alabama now turns its attention to a Saturday matchup against LSU in Tuscaloosa. Auburn, meanwhile, is gearing up to stay on the road as the Tigers take on Mississippi State on Saturday in Starkville.