A new banner will be hung inside Neville Arena as Auburn earned its first NIT championship with a win over Tulsa on Sunday night.
It might not have been the championship they originally had in mind when the 2025-26 season tipped off back in November, but the Auburn Tigers ended the campaign on a championship note nonetheless.
After outlasting Tulsa in a high-scoring battle that ended with the scoreboard reading 92-86, the Tigers secured the NIT crown and a new banner will be added to the rafters inside Neville Arena as a result.
Both teams appeared to be evenly matched throughout the beginning of the contest. When regulation came to an end, both sides had 78 points on the board and additional time was required to determine who would leave Indianapolis with the NIT crown.
Auburn ran away with the game during overtime, as it was in control from the 3:31-mark forward. Sebastian Williams-Adams hit two free-throws at that point, allowing the Tigers to secure their second advantage of the additional period.
Kevin Overton — a player who stepped up for Auburn in a big way throughout the tournament — once again played a big role in the title game. He led the Tigers in scoring with 26 points and made seven of his 13 field goal attempts. Most notably, he shot 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Tahaad Pettiford also played a big role, as he was Auburn's second-highest scorer with 24 points. He was also the team's leader in assists with eight.
Elyjah Freeman and Keyshawn Hall made a difference for Auburn on the glass as they came away with 14 and 12 rebounds, respectively.
Despite coming up just short of earning the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers refused to quit and gave their all throughout the NIT.
As a result of that commitment, a satisfying end was brought to Auburn's 2025-26 season, despite all of the adversity faced by the team this season.