Miami (OH) AD David Sayler rips Bruce Pearl, suggests TV ‘disclaimer’ over Auburn bias in NCAA tournament

In the midst of a shiny and cleanable play by his men's hoops squad that has caught the attraction of assemblage hoops fans crossed the country, Miami (OH) AD David Sayler has clapped backmost astatine erstwhile Auburn caput manager Bruce Pearl. Pearl has made comments that Miami (OH) is simply a mid-major squad that doesn't person the champion spot of docket to marque the NCAA Tournament without winning the MAC. 

Last weekend, Pearl took to the airwaves during his quality connected TNT's assemblage hoops amusement to sermon Miami's deficiency of large wins against higher-ranked teams that puts them successful a spot successful which winning the MAC tourney adjacent week is the lone viable mode the squad should marque the postseason. 

Right now, sitting astatine 30-0 connected the season, the Redhawks person been the speech of the sport, but a constituent of contention connected societal media and different platforms has centered astir their scheduling. 

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(Left) Miami (Ohio) RedHawks defender Peter Suder (5) celebrates aft hitting a three-point handbasket against the Akron Zips during the archetypal fractional of the MAC Conference Tournament Championship crippled astatine Rocket Arena successful Cleveland, Ohio, connected Mar. 15, 2025. (Right) Auburn Tigers caput manager Bruce Pearl reacts during the archetypal fractional successful the South Regional last of the 2025 NCAA Tournament against the Michigan State Spartans astatine State Farm Arena successful Atlanta, Georgia, connected Mar. 30, 2025. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images;Brett DavisImagn Images)

If we're selecting the 68 champion teams, past Miami (Ohio) is going to person to triumph their tourney to suffice arsenic a champion. Because arsenic an at-large, they are not 1 of the champion teams successful the country," Bruce Pearl noted. 

In a precise awkward coincidence, Pearl's erstwhile squad, who conscionable truthful happens to beryllium coached by his lad Steven, is squarely connected the NCAA Tournament bubble. 

While Bruce made it abundantly wide this week that helium is rooting for his lad to marque the postseason, which isn't immoderate benignant of shocking news, determination are immoderate that consciousness arsenic though his remarks astir Miami (OH) were besides made successful conjunction with Auburn being connected the bubble. 

In speaking with OutKick connected Friday, Miami (OH) diversion manager David Sayler had a proposal astir what networks should bash erstwhile Bruce Pearl is discussing teams who should beryllium successful contention for a spot successful the NCAA Tournament. 

"I person a batch of respect for him arsenic a coach, but erstwhile helium starts to usage the connection ‘We’ astir Auburn, that surely rankles me," Sayler pointed out. "He shouldn’t beryllium connected a TV surface giving proposal oregon opinions connected the NCAA Tournament erstwhile he's intelligibly biased. There should beryllium a disclaimer connected the bottommost of the screen, oregon something, that’s intelligibly what he’s doing."

Auburn Tigers erstwhile men’s hoops caput manager Bruce Pearl walks connected the tract earlier the crippled against the Texas A&M Aggies successful College Station, Texas. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

The speech astir Miami (OH) has reached a fever-pitch, with a bulk of reactions successful the favour of the squad making the postseason, adjacent if the Redhawks endure a nonaccomplishment successful their regular play finale against Ohio, oregon successful the MAC tourney adjacent week successful Cleveland. 

David Sayler Channels His Inner ‘Yoda’ When Fighting Against Expansion

Even though the NCAA has tabled the speech connected adding further teams until aft the 2026 play is completed, determination is inactive a looming treatment to beryllium had. 

The question of whether expanding the NCAA Tournament volition assistance mid-major teams successful the agelong tally has been a hot-button topic, fixed the existent scenery of assemblage athletics. 

For Sayler, helium views schools similar Miami (OH) and others arsenic an ‘afterthought’ successful these conversations. 

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Miami (Ohio) RedHawks defender Peter Suder (5) celebrates aft hitting a three-point handbasket against the Akron Zips during the archetypal fractional of the MAC Conference Tournament Championship crippled astatine Rocket Arena successful Cleveland, Ohio, connected Mar. 15, 2025. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)

"I don’t privation to spot the 11th spot SEC squad oregon the 12th spot Big Ten, and that’s wherefore I’m against enlargement of the tournament," Sayler told OutKick. "Now, you’re going to get the 13th spot squad successful these leagues. It’s not for the mid-majors. There’s nary speech of the CFP oregon expanding the assemblage hoops tourney due to the fact that of us. We are the afterthought. It’s like, ‘Ok, they’ll conscionable beryllium blessed with what they get'.

"That’s wherefore I’ve been quoting Yoda erstwhile warring the evil empire lately, due to the fact that that’s truly what this is, the Death Star marching on, and we’re powerless to bash it. So I’m portion of the radical of rebel AD's trying to combat the strategy and leaning connected sage proposal from Yoda."

The speech astir Miami (OH) isn't dying down, particularly if the Redhawks were to suffer a crippled during the MAC tournament, oregon adjacent their regular play finale connected Friday nighttime against the Ohio Bobcats. 

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But, this has intelligibly been 1 of the astir intriguing stories successful assemblage hoops this season. Maybe the slipper volition acceptable implicit the adjacent month. 

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