Video: Alabama's Nate Oats Gets on Mic Mid-Game to Scold Fans for Throwing Objects

Alabama head coach Nate Oats grabbed a microphone to scold fans near the Crimson Tide student section for throwing objects onto the court during Saturday night's game against Auburn.

"We're trying to win the basketball game. We don't need you guys costing us points," Oats told the crowd through the PA's headset, per 247 Sports' Mike Rodak. "Knock this stuff off, and we'll win the basketball game the right way."

No. 2 Alabama trailed No. 1 Auburn by nine points at halftime of Saturday night's rivalry game at Coleman Coliseum.

Auburn pulled off the 94-85 victory despite a late push from Alabama, threatening the Crimson Tide's hopes of ending the regular season on top of the SEC.

Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne visited the section before Oats got on the microphone, according to AL.com's Matt Stahl.

Prior to Oats' announcement, the ESPN broadcast had showed Alabama fans having what looked like a heated interaction with Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara from the sideline.

Alabama football dealt with fans throwing debris mid-game earlier this academic year during a Saturday night game at LSU on Nov. 9, 2024. The SEC ultimately fined LSU $250,000 for "interruption" of the game.

Saturday night's game marked the first time two SEC teams had met as the top two seeds in men's college basketball, according to Fox Sports' John Fanta.

Oats told Fanta ahead of tip-off that he believed "this basketball game may be the best game in all of college football for the entire year."

The game was nationally broadcast on ESPN, and the ESPN's College Gameday took place in Tuscaloosa earlier that afternoon.

Auburn and Alabama are slated to meet again when each team's regular-season finale takes place in Alabama on Saturday, March 8.