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Charles Barkley 'guarantees' Auburn will play High Point next season, wants more mid-major matchups

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz03/20/26NickSchultz_7

Following High Point’s upset win over Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament, Panthers coach Flynn Clayman emphatically called for high-major teams to put mid-majors on their schedule. CBS and TNT’s Charles Barkley heard those remarks and made one of his famous “guarantees.”

Barkley said he plans to call Auburn head coach Steven Pearl and athletics director John Cohen and tell them to schedule High Point next season. He agreed with Clayman’s comments about scheduling, specifically how it impacts mid-major teams.

That’s why he suggested Auburn add High Point to the schedule. He’s confident the matchup will happen, too.

“I’m telling you right now. Auburn, we’re playing High Point next year,” Barkley said at halftime of Hofstra vs. Alabama. “I’m speaking for Auburn. Guaranteed! We’re going to play High Point next year. I think it’ll be great. Listen, the big schools should start playing some of the mid-majors.”

During his postgame press conference following the upset win over Wisconsin, Clayman said “something needs to be done” about scheduling for mid-majors. He cited Miami (OH) as an example, considering the dialogue around the RedHawks after their undefeated regular season. They then became one of the last four teams in the NCAA Tournament after falling to UMass in the MAC semifinals.

Those conversations, Charles Barkley said, are part of the reason he thinks bigger programs should put mid-majors on their schedule. He argued the difference in the conversations about strength of schedule when comparing at-large chances.

“Watching High Point play, No. 1, the coach and his enthusiasm. Then, the stuff he talked about after the game, to me, was really poignant and important,” Barkley said. “Some of these big schools got to start playing some of these mid-majors. They’ve got to schedule them because the big schools do not get their schedule held against them. The little schools, they call them, ‘That’s a good loss.’ Well, that sounds good.

“But I really think, even if it’s on a neutral court – and I’m telling you right now, Auburn’s going to play High Point next year. … I’m telling you, I’m going to call Steve Pearl and AD Cohen. We’re going to play High Point next year.”

With Thursday’s Round of 64 victory, High Point is dancing into Saturday’s Round of 32. The Panthers will take on No. 4 seed Arkansas with a spot in the Sweet Sixteen on the line.