While Auburn’s men’s basketball team has met up with the USC Trojans three times in program history, the Tigers have never hosted the Trojans.

That all changes Sunday afternoon as USC (5-4) makes its way to The Plains for a noon tipoff in what’s been a highly anticipated matchup since it was announced in June of 2022 that the two programs would be teaming up for a home-and-home series.

Auburn (7-2) visited Los Angeles on Dec. 18, 2022 in a game that saw USC win 74-71, stretching the Trojans’ overall record over the Tigers to 3-0.

But now it’s Auburn’s turn to play host. And the Tigers will do so in front of Neville Arena crowd that will have certainly paid its way to be there to watch the game.

As of Thursday morning at 10:30, the cheapest ticket to Sunday’s game on Ticketmaster was a standing room only ticket for $153. On SeatGeek, the cheapest was a standing room only ticket for $98. On StubHub, the cheapest was a standing room only ticket for $104.

Conversely, the most expensive ticket was listed on StubHub — a seat in section 111, which would run its buyer $2,747.

“It could be one of the hottest tickets in Neville Arena history for a nonconference game,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said after the Tigers’ 87-62 win over UNC-Asheville Wednesday night. “We’ll have to play better to win that one.”

So what gives? What’s with the outrageous prices of tickets for Sunday’s meeting between the Tigers and Trojans?

While Pearl has Auburn rolling after the Tigers hammered the Indiana Hoosiers on Dec. 9, followed by another lopsided win over UNC-Asheville, the Tigers’ head coach likely knows he and his team can’t take all the credit for the demand of Sunday’s tickets.

Instead, there’s another factor — a freshman on USC’s roster, who goes by the name of Bronny James.

Bronny James is the son of 19-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA Finals Champion LeBron James, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bronny James made his collegiate debut in USC’s game against Long Beach State on Dec. 10, nearly five months after he went into cardiac arrest during a workout. Bronny James was cleared to play on Nov. 30.

In his debut last week, Bronny James played 17 minutes and put up four points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.

And his father was there to see all of it.

“That moment was everything for us to be there,” LeBron James said in an interview after watching his son play in his first college game. “To see the first person out of our family, out of the James gang, to grace a college campus and a college floor, that was pretty cool.”

Will LeBron James make an appearance at Neville Arena on Sunday afternoon?

That’s to be determined. However, the Lakers’ schedule does favor the likelihood as Los Angeles doesn’t play on Saturday or Sunday.

Regardless of LeBron James’ presence, if the demand for tickets is any indication, Neville Arena will be quite the place to be Sunday afternoon — if you’ve got the coin to spend.

Auburn and USC will tipoff Sunday at noon in a game that will be televised on ESPN.