Plane appearing to carry Auburn’s men’s basketball team diverted due to in-flight altercation: report

Auburn and Houston are gearing up for a highly anticipated basketball showdown this Saturday, but the drama seemed to have started even before the teams hit the court. Reports have surfaced suggesting that Auburn’s basketball team encountered some turbulence on their way to Houston, forcing their plane to turn around due to an altercation between players.

According to WBRC in Birmingham, the pilot of the plane carrying the Tigers’ men’s basketball team made the decision to divert the flight back to Auburn shortly after takeoff. The reason cited was a disturbance onboard, with the pilot reportedly stating that there were “a bunch of basketball players fighting.” The plane eventually landed back in Auburn, despite initial plans for an emergency landing in Montgomery.

While the university has yet to officially comment on the incident, another report indicated that no physical altercations took place, but tensions ran high as players got into each other’s faces. FlightAware data shows that the diverted flight departed from Auburn and landed back at the same airport within 40 minutes of takeoff. Subsequent flights on the same route earlier in the day proceeded as scheduled.

Auburn, currently ranked 11th in the nation, is set to face off against the 4th-ranked Houston Cougars in what promises to be an intense matchup. Last year, Auburn suffered an early exit from the March Madness tournament as a No. 4 seed, falling to No. 13 Yale. In contrast, Houston, as a No. 1 seed, made it to the Sweet 16 before being eliminated by No. 4 Duke.

This isn’t the first time these two teams have crossed paths in the postseason. In 2023, Houston, as a top seed, defeated 9th-seeded Auburn in the second round of the tournament. As the teams prepare to renew their rivalry on the court, the off-court drama only adds to the anticipation surrounding this game.

For more updates on sports news and coverage, follow Fox News Digital’s sports content and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Get ready for an epic showdown between Auburn and Houston as they battle it out on the hardwood in a clash of top-tier basketball programs.