Bruce Pearl is facing backlash from college basketball fans just weeks after joining TNT and CBS Sports as an NCAA Tournament analyst.
The former Auburn coach was on Saturday broadcast and might want to reverse his logic. While discussing the projected March Madness field, Pearl said unbeaten Miami (OH) is currently a bubble team after improving to 29-0 with a 69-67 win over Western Michigan on Friday night.
Despite the perfect record and being two wins away from history, Pearl questioned whether the Redhawks deserved an at-large bid.
“If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami (OH) is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion,” Pearl said. “Because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country.”
Bruce Pearl on 29-0 Miami (OH): “If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami (Ohio) is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion. Because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country.” 🏀🎙️#NCAATournamentpic.twitter.com/7DQiDmm1Ql
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 28, 2026
This didn’t sit well with fans online who challenged Pearl and asked isn’t the win-loss record why the NCAA field of 68 exists? The comments quickly sparked outrage on social media.
Some fans argued Pearl should not be weighing in on bubble teams so soon after leaving Auburn, citing what they view as lingering ties to the Tigers program and being an SEC homer. Others pointed to his son’s coaching connections and labeled the situation a potential conflict of interest.
“If you win 30 damn games as a D1 school you should be in,” one fan wrote. Another went right in saying, “But 15-15 Auburn man. We gotta get them in right?”
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There were also calls for TNT to remove Pearl from its tournament coverage. But there has been no indication the network plans to make any changes at this point. Especially with Ernie Johnson taking a step back and not available in the first two rounds.
The NCAA Tournament is scheduled to begin March 17, with selection decisions likely to intensify debate in the coming days.