AUBURN, Ala. — A flight transporting the No. 11 Auburn basketball team was forced to return shortly after takeoff on Friday due to an altercation between two players, as reported by various sources.
Audio recordings revealed that the pilot informed air traffic controllers about a physical fight that occurred on board, which resulted in ripped clothing among the involved players.
The Tigers were en route to Houston for a scheduled matchup against the fourth-ranked Cougars on Saturday. The flight took off just before 3 p.m. but had to turn back and land approximately 40 minutes later.
During the communications with air traffic controllers, the pilot mentioned that law enforcement had been notified of the incident.
ESPN corroborated the reports of the in-flight altercation, with details coming from unnamed sources. Fortunately, the situation was contained before escalating further, and a replacement flight was arranged to depart on Friday night, ESPN indicated.
As of now, Auburn’s athletic department has not provided any comments in response to inquiries from media outlets like WBRC and ESPN.
In their recent performance, Auburn secured a commanding victory over Vermont, winning 94-43 in their season opener on Wednesday. The current season marks the 11th year under coach Bruce Pearl, who has led the team to the NCAA Tournament five times, including a notable Final Four run in 2019.
