A flight carrying the No. 11 Auburn basketball team was grounded shortly after takeoff on Friday due to an in-flight altercation between two players. The incident, which resulted in ripped clothing, was reported by the pilot to air traffic controllers. The team was en route to Houston to face the fourth-ranked Cougars on Saturday when the altercation occurred.
After taking off around 3 p.m., the plane was forced to turn around and land approximately 40 minutes later. Police were called to address the situation, as confirmed by the pilot's communication with air traffic controllers. ESPN also verified the incident through anonymous sources, noting that the fight was swiftly broken up before escalating further.
A replacement flight was arranged for the team, allowing them to continue their journey to Houston on Friday night. Despite the disruption, Auburn's athletic department did not provide any official comments on the matter to media outlets.
Prior to this incident, Auburn had secured a dominant 94-43 victory over Vermont in their season opener on Wednesday night. The Tigers, under the leadership of coach Bruce Pearl in his 11th season, have a strong basketball program with multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, including a memorable Final Four run in 2019.
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