Is Charles Barkley an Auburn fan?
Yes. In his own words, Charles Barkley is an Auburn Tigers fan.
Charles Barkley Full fan file: every team he roots for, with receipts
“Auburn going to the Final Four a couple years ago was probably my greatest sports experience”
Saturday Down South, September 27, 2021. Backed by Fox News (2023).
Last checked November 4, 2026: the quote still matched the page word for word.
What has Charles Barkley said about the Auburn Tigers?
Charles Barkley told Saturday Down South on September 27, 2021, that "Auburn going to the Final Four a couple years ago was probably my greatest sports experience." That is a notable thing for someone who played 16 seasons in the NBA, with stops in Philadelphia, Phoenix and Houston, to say about a college basketball team he watched from the outside. The statement comes from Barkley himself, which is what makes this a confirmed fandom and not just a guess drawn from his résumé.
Did Charles Barkley grow up an Auburn fan?
Barkley was born on February 20, 1963, in Leeds, Alabama, and went to high school there, so the state and the school sit close together in his history. Nothing in the material says when he started following Auburn or whether he did so as a child, so the safest reading is the one the timeframe supports: his tie to the Tigers runs from his time in college, and it is current. He attended Auburn from 1981 to 1984, and the team is his alma mater.
When did Charles Barkley become an Auburn fan?
The clearest marker is his enrollment. Charles Barkley attended Auburn from 1981 to 1984, and the Philadelphia 76ers took him fifth overall in the 1984 draft. His fandom is described as running since college, and his 2021 comments show it is still current. Barkley's remarks don't pin down a single moment when he began rooting for the Tigers, so the college years are the earliest date anyone can fairly give.
What else backs up his Auburn loyalty?
A second statement points the same way, though it is framed around a rival. Fox News reported on December 21, 2023, that Barkley said, "I can’t root for Alabama under any circumstances." That is a line about Alabama, not a stated love for Auburn, and it shouldn't be stretched into anything harder than that. It does sit comfortably beside his 2021 praise of the Tigers, and both come from an Alabama native who attended Auburn.
Does Charles Barkley root for any other teams?
Barkley has also been reported as a Detroit Lions fan. That is a separate matter from his college allegiance and carries only the weight of a report, so it shouldn't be read as something he has confirmed himself.
Questions people ask
Is Charles Barkley an Auburn fan?
Yes. He told Saturday Down South in September 2021 that Auburn's Final Four run was "Auburn going to the Final Four a couple years ago was probably my greatest sports experience", and he attended the school from 1981 to 1984.
What has Charles Barkley said about the Auburn Tigers?
His best-known remark came in the Saturday Down South interview on September 27, 2021, where he said "Auburn going to the Final Four a couple years ago was probably my greatest sports experience."
Did Charles Barkley grow up an Auburn fan?
That isn't established. He was born in Leeds, Alabama, and the tie to Auburn is dated from his college years, 1981 to 1984, and continues now.
Does Charles Barkley like the Auburn Tigers?
By his own account, yes. His 2021 comments are warm, and he told Fox News in December 2023 that he can't root for Alabama under any circumstances.