It was the perfect sequence to sum up the delightfully mad world of March Madness: a bit of madness, a sprinkling of confusion, and even a dash of celebrity involvement. That’s what unfolded as the NCAA Tournament began to fire up, and McNeese faced off with Purdue. In true March Madness fashion, McNeese student manager Amir Khan found himself on the wrong side of a fan meltdown.

Fans took to social media frustrated Khan was sitting next to film director Spike Lee during the game, pointing the finger that he wasn’t concentrating on his managing role, as the Cowboys trailed by 18 points in halftime.

Amir Khan, a.k.a. “Aura,” isn’t your average student manager. Khan went viral for his lively pre-game routines. He floats at the front of the McNeese line with a boombox blasting rap music, leading the squad onto the field and igniting the crowd in the process.

His infectious swagger and charisma led to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals with companies like Buffalo Wild Wings and Insomnia Cookies. Khan even quipped that he “would be averaging Wilt Chamberlain statistics” if there were stat lines for his work behind the scenes. Quite simply, Khan is as much a staple of McNeese’s identity as the players themselves.

But, of course, his exploding popularity is starting to bother some fans. When cameras showed him sitting next to Lee during the McNeese-Purdue game, things immediately got viral.

Fans blasts Amir Khan

One fan explicitly wrote on X, “Amir Khan is sitting next to Spike Lee – neglecting his managing duties?? Your team’s down 16 bro!” The fan response underscores a larger sentiment among college sports fans regarding the influence of student managers. While Khan’s infectious personality and viral off-court exploits have shined a spotlight on McNeese, there is growing skepticism that a student manager’s notoriety should take precedence over the team’s success. “Spike Lee sitting next to Amir Khan and McNeese on the verge of losing their first game in 12, a coincidence? I think not,” a fan pointed out, noticing the timing of the change in the game’s momentum. The Cowboys were on a high, but when the winning streak snapped at 11, they knew the vibes had changed.

What came next was even harsher backlash. “Spike Lee and Amir Khan two of the biggest sc–bags of all time sitting next to each other,” one fan tweeted. Another added, “Amir Khan is a fraud. Good luck to @spike_osullivan he’s got star quality.” Yikes. The hate towards Khan was rough but let’s not forget Lee is just a basketball fan who enjoys watching his favorite teams. Looks like this encounter wasn’t something that was arranged but an interesting meeting nonetheless.

In the end, it was a tough loss for McNeese, but it sparked an interesting debate about the role of student managers in a time when they’ve become ever more prominent. And blended in with the viral moments, the social media discourse, the celebrity appearances and the basketball action itself, McNeese’s manager’s eye-catching move on the court provided yet another inescapable conclusion about March Madness itself. It’s not just for the players anymore.