# SEC Morning Report: Alabama Edges Auburn 87-85 in Inaugural 'Feud' as Week 8 Elimination Games Loom **Published:** 2026-10-23 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield **Category:** daily-roundup — **Type:** daily-roundup **Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/sec-morning-report-alabama-edges-auburn-87-85-in-inaugural-feud-as-week-8-elimination-games-loom **Teams:** [Alabama](https://secscouts.com/alabama/), [Arkansas](https://secscouts.com/arkansas/), [Auburn](https://secscouts.com/auburn/), [Kentucky](https://secscouts.com/kentucky/), [LSU](https://secscouts.com/lsu/), [Miss State](https://secscouts.com/mississippi-state/), [Missouri](https://secscouts.com/missouri/), [Oklahoma](https://secscouts.com/oklahoma/), [Ole Miss](https://secscouts.com/ole-miss/), [Tennessee](https://secscouts.com/tennessee/), [Texas A&M](https://secscouts.com/texas-am/) --- ## LEAD STORY: Tide Takes Round One of The Feud Alabama and Auburn gave Birmingham a preview of what the 2026-27 basketball season might hold, and the Crimson Tide walked away with bragging rights. Alabama defeated Auburn 87-85 Thursday night in the inaugural matchup of The Feud at Legacy Arena, a two-point thriller that felt anything but exhibition-casual. The neutral-site showdown gave both rosters their first real test against high-major competition before the regular season tips off, and the margin suggests the in-state rivalry will be as tightly contested as ever when the games start counting. For Alabama, the result adds to the sense around the league that the Tide will be a factor again this season. The exhibition slate stays busy across the SEC. Kentucky hosts No. 19 Texas Tech at Rupp Arena on Friday night — the second of three Wildcats exhibitions — against a Red Raiders team that set a program record with 384 made 3-pointers last season but will be without star JT Toppin, who is still recovering from a torn ACL. Missouri visits Kansas State on Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN+, and LSU opened its own exhibition schedule by overwhelming UNT Dallas, 159-31. ## QUICK HITS - **Missouri lands in NIL 'Tier 3':** A CBS Sports research project built on more than 100 sources pegs Missouri men's basketball in the third tier of high-major spending, estimated at $15.1 million to $17.5 million — alongside SEC peers Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. Per the report, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee and Texas all sit north of $20 million, while the average power-conference roster now costs $13.5 million. - **Mizzou soccer stuns Texas A&M:** Missouri scored three unanswered goals to beat Texas A&M 3-2 on Thursday at Walton Soccer Stadium, with Rylie Morse finishing a chaotic sequence off an Emily Derucki touch. It's the Tigers' second straight SEC win, both coming on Thursday nights. - **Arkansas golf honor:** Razorbacks freshman Lev Grinberg was named SEC Men's Golfer of the Week after firing a final-round 5-under 67 to climb 12 spots and finish runner-up at the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational. - **Lady Vols talk season:** Tennessee women's basketball held its annual preseason media day Thursday at Pratt Pavilion as the program turns the page toward the 2026-27 campaign. - **Tide tidbits:** Alabama gymnastics' Ghosts edged the Goblins 15-14 in the annual intrasquad meet Thursday, and Alabama baseball hosts UAB in a 14-inning exhibition Friday at 5 p.m. CT in Tuscaloosa. ## PORTAL WATCH No transfer portal movement to report over the last 12 hours. One eligibility note worth tracking from the basketball exhibition scene: Texas Tech's Donovan Atwell was recently granted an injunction making him eligible this season, while Darrion Williams and Jamichael Stillwell are still seeking eligibility rulings — all three are names Kentucky could see Friday night at Rupp. ## RECRUITING BUZZ Quiet morning on the recruiting front — no new commitments across the conference in the last 12 hours. With Week 8 bringing several high-profile SEC matchups and official visitors expected on campuses, that could change by Saturday night. ## GAMES TO WATCH ESPN's Week 8 preview frames this as an elimination weekend in the SEC, with Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU all facing road challenges. The conference slate: - **Texas A&M at Alabama** — The Aggies travel to Tuscaloosa as two-score underdogs (Alabama -13.5), with the Tide looking to rebound from back-to-back losses. - **LSU at Auburn** — One of the road tests ESPN flags as a potential season-definer for the Tigers. - **Ole Miss at Texas** — The Rebels get one of the weekend's toughest road draws in Austin. - **Tennessee at South Carolina** — The Vols' trip to Columbia rounds out the trio of road challenges for ranked SEC hopefuls. - **Vanderbilt at Kentucky** — A pivotal matchup for both teams' bowl and conference positioning. - **Oklahoma at Mississippi State** — The Sooners head to Starkville in a game with real standings implications. On the hardwood, Kentucky–Texas Tech headlines Friday's exhibition action, and Tennessee swimming and diving faces No. 12/15 Georgia, No. 15/18 Alabama and No. 17/19 Auburn in its second College Swimming League match in Athens at 5:30 p.m. --- *Original article: [SEC Morning Report: Alabama Edges Auburn 87-85 in Inaugural 'Feud' as Week 8 Elimination Games Loom](https://secscouts.com/news/sec-morning-report-alabama-edges-auburn-87-85-in-inaugural-feud-as-week-8-elimination-games-loom) — SEC Scouts*