Auburn Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl Talking Football at SEC Basketball Media Days

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl says it’s understandable why SEC’s football can stifle early season enthusiasm for basketball on league campuses.

At SEC Media Days in Nashville, Pearly says, “The SEC West is stronger than the AFC South right now in football.”

Pearl noted that isn’t the case at other conferences.

“When we are playing college football in late October and early November, we’re just getting started in the SEC,” Pearl said. “We’re just getting warmed up. Our best games are just coming. Half the Big Ten is ready for college basketball right now. … Half of the ACC is ready for college basketball right now. Their football season’s over. Not in the SEC.”

Pearl emphasized he wasn’t blaming the SEC’s football prowess for the league’s basketball struggles. He instead said that “we should celebrate” the SEC’s football strength and that “we shouldn’t shy away from it.”

“It’s not the reason why basketball’s not good,” Pearl said. “We do have to get our fans and our kids a little bit more excited about November basketball. And we as coaches have to go out and win some more games in November.”