Well, Bama fans thought the storm had passed, after a disappointing season, but looks like that’s not the case. Kalen DeBoer’s challenging start had Alabama fans on edge after tough losses to Michigan and Oklahoma. But just when they thought things couldn’t get worse, Charles Barkley appeared with more criticisms. The man never misses a chance to twist the knife, and this time, he’s got Bama in his crosshairs again.

Known for his candidness, Charles Barkley’s stance remains as firm as ever when it comes to Alabama football. While the Auburn legend generally backs the SEC, they refuse to support Alabama. CFB insider SEC Mike hit X with one of those instances where Barkley said, “I root for everyone in the SEC except Alabama in football,” adding, “Georgia, Florida, Tennessee; I root for the SEC, but I hate Alabama in football. That’s the only thing.” His comments feel like a gut punch to Coach Kalen DeBoer and Bama when they are already in a tough spot with maintaining their dominance.

These remarks came out on March Madness during Charles Barkley’s reaction to the SEC’s opening day in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Despite a record 14 conference teams making it to the NCAA tournament, and 13 even advancing past the First Four, the first day was somewhat underwhelming. Despite wins for Auburn, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Arkansas, the SEC wasn’t entirely successful. The Xavier Musketeers defeated Texas Longhorns in the First Four; Drake, a No. 11 seed, upset No. 6 Missouri; and Gonzaga, an 8th seed, beat No. 9 Georgia. The conference’s 4-3 start to its opening games was a mixed bag, falling short of expectations for what was supposed to be the best SEC basketball season ever.

Talking about the entire situation, Barkley said, “I thought the SEC had a rough day yesterday, and it could get ugly quickly. Everyone talks about how great they were all during the regular season, and they were great. Now it’s time in a one-and-done scenario.” Despite the opening-day struggles, he still expects a deep SEC run. “I had higher expectations,” he said. “I expect us to get at least two teams to the Final Four, at least four to five to next weekend.” He’s still confident about the conference, but his dislike of Alabama football persists, regardless of DeBoer’s involvement.

Barkley did not hold back in his criticism of Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats regarding Grant Nelson’s injury. Following Alabama’s 90-81 victory over Robert Morris in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the focus shifted to Oats’ ambiguous stance on Nelson’s playing status. Before the game, Oats said Nelson was “going to warm up” with his knee injury and would be ready but not start, though he’d be “available if needed.” Barkley didn’t like the way Oats handled the situation, talking about it Barkley says,

“They say he’s not starting, but he’s available. No. You either play or you can’t play. I think that leaves too much doubt in the player and the team. I would love for them to say if he’s just not ready, he’s not ready.” His criticism highlighted concerns about how Alabama’s coaching staff managed player health in high-stakes moments.

Despite the controversy, Alabama managed to advance thanks to Mark Sears’ outstanding performance. Sears finished with 22 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds, leading the Crimson Tide basketball to victory by controlling the game and never relinquishing the lead. Although Nelson made a brief appearance on the court, contributing five points and three rebounds in seven minutes, Oats’ decision-making regarding his return continued to spark debate. All thanks to Charles Barkley who’s opinion made things even worst for them. Even after his love for Nick Saban.

Charles Barkley’s mixed opinions on Bama football

This isn’t the first time Barkley has put Alabama in a tough spot. Previously, he criticized the College Football Playoff committee for excluding Florida State from the Final Four in the 2023 season. Barkley highlighted FSU’s success even without their star quarterback, Jordan Travis, and criticized the committee for underestimating their team.

During the USC-Auburn basketball broadcast, Barkley openly shared his views on the selection process, showing his discontent saying, “Here’s my problem with the whole thing as a player, they penalize because they lost their starters,” Barkley said. “I said, ‘well wait a minute you showed total disrespect to the backups.’ That was my whole problem. Hey, you know how much I love Coach Saban and Alabama. I mean, I don’t like Alabama, I like Coach Saban. Winning with backups should have gave you brownie points, not penalize you.”

Despite his respect for Nick Saban, Barkley refused to root for Alabama and doubled down on his stance. He made it clear that he would back just about anyone over the Crimson Tide.

His loyalty to Auburn runs deep, and he didn’t hold back when explaining why he could never support their biggest rival. As he says, “I can’t root for Alabama under any circumstances,” Barkley said. “I love Coach Saban. He’s been great to me. But I can never root for Alabama.” Well, for now it looks like that’s a never ending debate.