re: UK, MSU, and aTm basketball don't play a true road game until January. Are they cowards?

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Why is Auburn playing at South Alabama?

Pearl did the same thing at Tennessee playing road games at MTSU and UTC. What's the purpose of this?

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Same reason we've played @UAB and other games in Birmingham.

He wants to make his program THE basketball in the state.

Not everyone is going to drive to see a college basketball game, not everyone even cares about college basketball. But if the game comes to your town it draws a lot of excitement and you're the big name for the night in that population center of the state. That draws more interest and excitement to the program. That's especially important in the areas of the state where the most and best recruits typically come from (Birmingham and Mobile) I wouldn't be surprised to see Pearl try and do something in Huntsville at some point. I'm a little surprised he hasn't tried to schedule any big neutral site games in ATL bc even though it's not instate, the ATL area in particular has been huge for us and really all of East Georgia.