Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl used his postgame news conference to advocate for the release of Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage in Gaza. Pearl, who is Jewish, sought his players' permission to bring up the subject and emphasized the need to raise awareness about Alexander's situation. He referenced his faith and family's migration to the U.S. in explaining his support for Israel and his belief that the release of the hostages would lead to an end to the violence. Pearl's comments brought attention to the hostage situation during a widely watched sporting event.