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Auburn only claims 12 conference titles
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Reverting edit(s) by 2600:6C5A:407F:29B1:8DA8:BB8E:5560:6BE9 (talk) to rev. 1205169442 by Gordon (Gawdna): Factual errors (UV 0.1.5)
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| PlayoffApps =
| PlayoffApps =
| Playoffs =
| Playoffs =
| NatlTitles = 2 ([[1957 Auburn Tigers football team|1957]], [[2010 Auburn Tigers football team|2010]]<ref name="JordanHareSign"/>)
| NatlTitles = 5 ([[1913 Auburn Tigers football team|1913]], [[1983 Auburn Tigers football team|1983]], [[1993 Auburn Tigers football team|1993]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Auburn Football Tradition and History |url=https://auburntigers.com/sports/2018/6/11/sports-m-footbl-history-and-tradition-html.aspx |website=Auburn University Athletics |access-date=29 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref>[[1957 Auburn Tigers football team|1957]], [[2010 Auburn Tigers football team|2010]]<ref name="JordanHareSign"/>)
| UnNatlTitles = 4 ([[1910 Auburn Tigers football team|1910]],[[1913 Auburn Tigers football team|1913]], [[1983 Auburn Tigers football team|1983]], [[1993 Auburn Tigers football team|1993]] <ref name="NCAA1996">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/1996-ncaa-football-records-book-national-champions |title=1996 NCAA Football Records Book |publisher=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] |date=1996 |pages=54–59 |access-date=July 15, 2023}}</ref>)
| UnNatlTitles = 1 ([[1910 Auburn Tigers football team|1910]]<ref name="NCAA1996">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/1996-ncaa-football-records-book-national-champions |title=1996 NCAA Football Records Book |publisher=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] |date=1996 |pages=54–59 |access-date=July 15, 2023}}</ref>)
| NatlFinalist = 2 (2010, 2013)
| NatlFinalist = 2 (2010, 2013)
| ConfTitles = 12 (8 SEC, 3 SIAA, 1 Southern)
| ConfTitles = 16 (8 SEC, 7 SIAA, 1 Southern)
| DivTitles = 10
| DivTitles = 10
| Rivalries = [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]] ([[Iron Bowl|rivalry]])<br>[[Clemson Tigers football|Clemson]] ([[Auburn–Clemson football rivalry|rivalry]]) <br>[[Florida Gators football|Florida]] ([[Auburn–Florida football rivalry|rivalry]])<br>[[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] ([[Deep South's Oldest Rivalry|rivalry]])<br />[[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football|Georgia Tech]] ([[Auburn–Georgia Tech football rivalry|rivalry]])<br>[[LSU Tigers football|LSU]] ([[Auburn–LSU football rivalry|rivalry]])<br>[[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss]] ([[Auburn–Ole Miss football rivalry|rivalry]])<br>[[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] ([[Auburn–Tennessee football rivalry|rivalry]])<br>[[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] ([[Auburn–Tulane football rivalry|rivalry]])
| Rivalries = [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]] ([[Iron Bowl|rivalry]])<br>[[Clemson Tigers football|Clemson]] ([[Auburn–Clemson football rivalry|rivalry]]) <br>[[Florida Gators football|Florida]] ([[Auburn–Florida football rivalry|rivalry]])<br>[[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] ([[Deep South's Oldest Rivalry|rivalry]])<br />[[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football|Georgia Tech]] ([[Auburn–Georgia Tech football rivalry|rivalry]])<br>[[LSU Tigers football|LSU]] ([[Auburn–LSU football rivalry|rivalry]])<br>[[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss]] ([[Auburn–Ole Miss football rivalry|rivalry]])<br>[[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] ([[Auburn–Tennessee football rivalry|rivalry]])<br>[[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] ([[Auburn–Tulane football rivalry|rivalry]])

Revision as of 00:25, 25 February 2024

For the Australian rules football club, see Auburn Tigers Australian Football Club.

Auburn Tigers football
2023 Auburn Tigers football team
First season1892
Athletic directorJohn Cohen
Head coachHugh Freeze
1st season, 6–7 (.462)
StadiumJordan-Hare Stadium
(capacity: 88,043[1])
FieldPat Dye Field
Year built1939
Field surfaceGrass
LocationAuburn, Alabama
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionWestern
Past conferencesIndependent (1892–1894)
SIAA (1895–1920)
SoCon (1921–1932)
All-time record799–471–47 (.625)
Bowl record24–21–2 (.532)
Claimed national titles5 (1913, 1983, 1993[2]1957, 2010[3])
Unclaimed national titles1 (1910[4])
National finalist2 (2010, 2013)
Conference titles16 (8 SEC, 7 SIAA, 1 Southern)
Division titles10
RivalriesAlabama (rivalry)
Clemson (rivalry)
Florida (rivalry)
Georgia (rivalry)
Georgia Tech (rivalry)
LSU (rivalry)
Ole Miss (rivalry)
Tennessee (rivalry)
Tulane (rivalry)
Heisman winnersPat Sullivan – 1971
Bo Jackson – 1985
Cam Newton – 2010
Consensus All-Americans31
Current uniform
ColorsBurnt orange and navy blue[5]
   
Fight songWar Eagle
MascotAubie the Tiger
Marching bandAuburn University Marching Band
OutfitterUnder Armour
Websiteauburntigers.com

The Auburn Tigers football program represents Auburn University in the sport of American college football. Auburn competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Auburn officially began competing in intercollegiate football in 1892. The Tigers joined the Southeastern Conference in 1932 as one of the inaugural members of the conference and the Tigers began competing in the West Division when the conference divided in 1992. Auburn has achieved 12 undefeated seasons, won 16 conference championships, along with 10 divisional championships. The Tigers have made 44 post season bowl appearances, including 12 historically major bowl berths.[6] With over 798 total wins, Auburn is the 13th winningest FBS program.[7] The Tigers claim two national championships; 1957 and 2010.[3]

The Tigers have produced three Heisman Trophy winners: quarterback Pat Sullivan in 1971, running back Bo Jackson in 1985, and quarterback Cam Newton in 2010. Auburn has also produced 31[8] consensus All-American players. The College Football Hall of Fame has inducted a total of 12 individuals from Auburn, including eight student-athletes and four head coaches: John Heisman, Mike Donahue, Ralph Jordan, and Pat Dye. Jordan, who coached from 1951 to 1975, led Auburn to its first national championship and won a total of 176 games, the most by any Auburn coach.

Auburn's home stadium is Jordan–Hare Stadium, which opened in 1939 and becomes Alabama's fifth largest city on gamedays with a capacity of 88,043.[9] Auburn's arch rival is in-state foe Alabama. The Tigers and Crimson Tide meet annually in the Iron Bowl, one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports.

History

See also: List of Auburn Tigers football seasons

Auburn claims two national championships: 1957 and 2010.[3] Three Auburn players, Pat Sullivan in 1971, Bo Jackson in 1985, and Cam Newton in 2010 have won the Heisman Trophy. The Trophy's namesake, John Heisman, coached at Auburn from 1895 until 1899. Auburn is the only school that Heisman coached at (among others, Georgia Tech and Clemson) that has produced a Heisman Trophy winner. Auburn's Jordan–Hare Stadium has a capacity of 88,043[10] ranking as the tenth-largest on-campus stadium in the NCAA as of January 2011.[11] Auburn played the first football game in the Deep South in 1892 against the University of Georgia at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The Tigers' first bowl appearance was in 1937 in the sixth Bacardi Bowl played in Havana, Cuba. AU Football has won 12 conference championships (8 SEC), has had seven perfect seasons, and since the division of the conference in 1992, six outright western division championships (1997, 2000, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2017) along with three additional co-championships.[12] Auburn plays archrival Alabama each year in a game known as the Iron Bowl. In the overall series with Alabama, Auburn trails Alabama 42–35–1, despite holding an 18–14 advantage in games played since 1982.[13] Of the 14 SEC member universities, Auburn currently ranks 5th in the number of SEC football championships.

Auburn completed the 2004 football season with an unblemished 13–0 record winning the SEC championship, their first conference title since 1989 and their first outright title since 1987. However, this achievement was somewhat overshadowed by the Tigers being left out of the BCS championship game in deference to two other undefeated, higher ranked teams, USC and Oklahoma. The 2004 team was led by quarterback Jason Campbell (Washington Redskins), running backs Carnell Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Ronnie Brown (Miami Dolphins), and cornerback Carlos Rogers (Washington Redskins).

Auburn completed the 2010 football season with a perfect record of 13–0 winning the SEC championship when they defeated the University of South Carolina 56–17, which set an SEC Championship Game record for most points scored and largest margin of victory. The Tigers went on to defeat the Oregon Ducks 22–19 in their first appearance in the BCS National Championship Game on January 10, 2011, in Glendale, Arizona. The 2010 team was led by quarterback Cam Newton, who became the Heisman trophy winner of 2010 along with multiple other awards.

Auburn completed the 2013 regular season with an 11–1 record by knocking off then #1 Alabama. Auburn went on to defeat #5 Missouri 59–42 in the 2013 SEC Championship Game to claim its eighth SEC championship. Auburn faced #1 Florida State in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl, falling to the Seminoles in the final seconds, 31–34. The Tigers finished the season with a 12–2 record and ranked #2 in the final AP and Coaches polls.

Program success

In terms of winning percentage, Auburn ranks as the 15th most successful team of all time (1869-2019) with a 63.052% win rate.[14]

The College Football Research Center lists Auburn as the 14th best college football program in history,[15] with eight Auburn squads listed in Billingsley's Top 200 Teams of All Time (1869–2010).[16] The Bleacher Report placed Auburn as the 18th best program of all time in their power rankings conducted after the 2010 season.[17] In 2013, College Football Data Warehouse, a website dedicated to the historical data of college football,[18] listed Auburn 13th all-time.[19] After the 2008 season, ESPN ranked Auburn the 21st most prestigious program in history.[20] Additional noteworthy outlets to rank Auburn in the top 25 all time were College Football News, who put the Tigers at 13th all time after the 2018 season, and the Associated Press, who ranked Auburn 15th all time after the 2017 season.[21][22]

The Associated Press poll statistics show Auburn with the 11th best national record of being ranked in the final AP Poll[23] and 14th overall (ranked 503 times out of 1058 polls since the poll began in 1936), with an average ranking of 11.2.[24] Since the Coaches Poll first released a final poll in 1950, Auburn has 26 seasons where the team finished ranked in the top 20 in both the AP and Coaches Polls.[25]

Auburn has also had success against teams ranked number one in the nation. The Tigers have beaten seven teams ranked number one in either the AP, Coaches, Bowl Championship Series (BCS), or College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings. The BCS was created in 1998 to guarantee bowl game matchups between the top teams, including a national championship game between the two top-ranked teams. The BCS was discontinued in 2014 and replaced by the CFP, which organizes a four-team playoff and national championship game.

Conference affiliations

Auburn has been both independent and affiliated with three conferences.[26]: 184 

Championships

National championships

Six Auburn teams have been awarded a national championship from NCAA-designated major selectors—1910, 1913, 1957, 1983, 1993, and 2010.[27]: 111–115 [28] The 1957 and 2010 championships are consensus national championships[27]: 120  and claimed by the university.[3]

Year Coach Selectors Record Final AP Final Coaches
1957 Ralph Jordan Associated Press, Billingsley, Football Research, Helms, National Championship Foundation, Poling, Sagarin, Sagarin (ELO-Chess), Williamson 10–0 No. 1 No. 2
2010 Gene Chizik Anderson & Hester, AP, Bowl Championship Series, Berryman, Billingsley, College Football Researchers Association, Colley, Dunkel, Football Writers Association, FWAA-NFF Grantland Rice Super 16, Massey, National Football Foundation, Sagarin, USA Today, Wolfe 14–0 No. 1 No. 1
1910 season
Main article: 1910 Auburn Tigers football team
1913 season
Main article: 1913 Auburn Tigers football team

The 1913 team was coached by Mike Donahue and was undefeated at 8–0, outscoring opponents 224–13. Auburn, led by senior captain Kirk Newell, finished as SIAA champions for the first time in school history. Newell, also a member of the Upsilon Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha, went on to be a World War I hero and member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.[29] In 1999, the 1913 Tigers were awarded a national title by the Billingsley Report under their Billingsley MOV (margin of victory) formula, one of two formulas used by Billingsley at the time.[30]

1957 season
Main article: 1957 Auburn Tigers football team

The 1957 Auburn Tigers, led by coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan, finished with a perfect 10–0 record, marking the school's first ever SEC championship. Auburn was recognized as national champions by the AP Poll even though they were on probation and did not participate in a bowl game. This was the school's first recognized national championship. The 1957 title is shared with Ohio State, who was named the national champion by the Coaches' Poll. This was the first of only two times in the history of the AP championship that it was awarded to a team on probation not allowed to participate in a bowl game (it would occur again in 1974 with Oklahoma).

1983 season
Main article: 1983 Auburn Tigers football team

The 1983 Auburn Tigers, led by head coach Pat Dye and running back Bo Jackson, finished 11–1 after playing the nation's toughest schedule. Their only loss came against No. 3 Texas, who defeated the Tigers, 20–7. Auburn went on to defeat No. 8 Michigan, 9–7, in the Sugar Bowl. Despite entering the bowl games ranked third in both major polls, and with both teams ranked higher losing their bowl games, the Tigers ended ranked third in the final AP poll. The New York Times ranked Auburn number one at the conclusion of the season, as did several other math system selectors. Later, the Billingsley Report math system retroactively listed Auburn at number one. The universally recognized national champions for 1983 are the Miami Hurricanes.

1993 season
Main article: 1993 Auburn Tigers football team

Head coach Terry Bowden led the 1993 team to a perfect season in his first year on the Plains. The Tigers were the only undefeated team in major college football; however, they were banned from playing on television or post-season games due to NCAA violations. Rival Alabama was sent to the SEC Championship Game as the substitute representative of the Western Division. Auburn finished ranked fourth in the nation by the Associated Press. However, Auburn was on NCAA probation in 1993 and ineligible for post season play.

2010 season
Main article: 2010 Auburn Tigers football team

The Tigers, led by head coach Gene Chizik and Gus Malzahn, completed a 12–0 regular season record and defeated South Carolina in the 2010 SEC Championship Game. On October 24, 2010, Auburn was ranked first in the BCS polls for the first time in school history. On January 10, 2011, Auburn defeated Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Arizona, 22–19. It was the school's second claimed national title, but their first undisputed title. Their quarterback, Cam Newton, became the Tigers' third Heisman Trophy winner. He had a total of 2,854 yards passing and 30 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns. Auburn went on to have two first round picks in the 2011 NFL draft with Cam Newton going number one and Nick Fairley going 13th.

Conference championships

Auburn officially has won 16 total conference championships, including seven SIAA Championships, one Southern Conference Championship, and eight SEC Championships.

Year Conference Coach Overall Record Conference Record
1900† SIAA Walter H. Watkins 4-0 4-0
1904† Mike Donahue 5–0 4-0
1908† 6-1 4-1
1910† 6-1 6-0
1913 9–0 8–0
1914† 8–0–1 5–0–1
1919† 8–1 5–1
1932† SoCon Chet A. Wynne 9–0–1 6–0–1
1957 SEC Ralph Jordan 10–0 7–0
1983 Pat Dye 11–1 6–0
1987 9–1–2 6–0–1
1988† 10–2 6–1
1989† 10–2 6–1
2004 Tommy Tuberville 13–0 8–0
2010 Gene Chizik 14–0 8–0
2013 Gus Malzahn 12–2 7–1

† Co-champions

Division championships

Since divisional play began in 1992, Auburn has won the SEC Western Division championship and gone on to the conference title game on six occasions and is 3–3 in the SEC Championship Game. The most recent appearance came in 2017 as Auburn completed the regular season 10–2, losing a rematch to Georgia in the 2017 SEC Championship Game. Auburn has also shared the Western Division title, but did not play in the championship game due to tiebreakers on three occasions. Auburn also finished the 1993 season in first place in the division but was not eligible for postseason play.

Year Division Coach Overall Record Conference Record Opponent SEC CG Result
1993† SEC West Terry Bowden 11-0 8-0 Ineligible for postseason
1997† 10–3 6–2 Tennessee L 29–30
2000 Tommy Tuberville 9–4 6–2 Florida L 6–28
2001† 7–5 5–3 LSU won divisional tiebreaker
2002† 9–4 5–3 Arkansas won divisional tiebreaker
2004 13–0 8–0 Tennessee W 38–28
2005† 9–3 7–1 LSU won divisional tiebreaker
2010 Gene Chizik 14–0 8–0 South Carolina W 56–17
2013 Gus Malzahn 12–2 7–1 Missouri W 59–42
2017 10–4 7–1 Georgia L 7–28

† Co-champions

Head coaches

Main article: List of Auburn Tigers head football coaches

Auburn has had 28 head coaches, and three interim head coaches, since it began play during the 1892 season.[31] On November 29, 2022, Hugh Freeze was named head coach of the Tigers. The team has played more than 1,200 games over 120 seasons.[31] In that time, eight coaches have led the Tigers in postseason bowl games: Jack Meagher, Ralph Jordan, Pat Dye, Terry Bowden, Tommy Tuberville, Gene Chizik, Gus Malzahn, and Bryan Harsin.[32] Billy Watkins, Mike Donahue, Chet A. Wynne, Jordan, Dye, Tuberville, Chizik, and Malzahn won a combined 12 conference championships.[33] During their tenures, Jordan and Chizik each won national championships with the Tigers.[33][34]

Bowl games

Auburn has participated in 45 bowls in total, with the Tigers garnering a record of 24–19–2.[26]: 172–183, 125–132 

Season Coach Bowl Opponent Result Attendance
1936 Jack Meagher Bacardi Bowl Villanova T 7–7 12,000
1937 Jack Meagher Orange Bowl Michigan State W 6–0 18,972
1953 Ralph Jordan Gator Bowl Texas Tech L 13–35 28,641
1954 Ralph Jordan Gator Bowl No. 18 Baylor W 33–13 28,426
1955 Ralph Jordan Gator Bowl Vanderbilt L 13–25 32,174
1963 Ralph Jordan Orange Bowl No. 6 Nebraska L 7–13 72,647
1965 Ralph Jordan Liberty Bowl Ole Miss L 7–13 38,607
1968 Ralph Jordan Sun Bowl Arizona W 34–10 32,307
1969 Ralph Jordan Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl No. 17 Houston L 7–36 55,203
1970 Ralph Jordan Gator Bowl No. 10 Ole Miss W 35–28 71,136
1971 Ralph Jordan Sugar Bowl No. 3 Oklahoma L 22–40 80,096
1972 Ralph Jordan Gator Bowl No. 13 Colorado W 24–3 71,114
1973 Ralph Jordan Sun Bowl Missouri L 17–34 30,127
1974 Ralph Jordan Gator Bowl No. 11 Texas W 27–3 63,811
1982 Pat Dye Tangerine Bowl Boston College W 33–26 51,296
1983 Pat Dye Sugar Bowl No. 8 Michigan W 9–7 77,893
1984 Pat Dye Liberty Bowl Arkansas W 21–15 50,108
1985 Pat Dye Cotton Bowl Classic No. 11 Texas A&M L 16–36 73,137
1986 Pat Dye Florida Citrus Bowl USC W 16–7 51,113
1987 Pat Dye Sugar Bowl No. 4 Syracuse T 16–16 75,495
1988 Pat Dye Sugar Bowl No. 4 Florida State L 7–13 75,098
1989 Pat Dye Hall of Fame Bowl No. 21 Ohio State W 31–14 52,535
1990 Pat Dye Peach Bowl Indiana W 27–23 38,962
1995 Terry Bowden Outback Bowl No. 15 Penn State L 14–43 65,313
1996 Terry Bowden Independence Bowl No. 24 Army W 32–29 41,366
1997 Terry Bowden Peach Bowl Clemson W 21–17 75,562
2000 Tommy Tuberville Florida Citrus Bowl No. 17 Michigan L 28–31 66,928
2001 Tommy Tuberville Peach Bowl North Carolina L 10–16 71,827
2002 Tommy Tuberville Capital One Bowl No. 10 Penn State W 13–9 66,334
2003 Tommy Tuberville Music City Bowl Wisconsin W 28–14 55,109
2004 Tommy Tuberville Sugar Bowl No. 9 Virginia Tech W 16–13 77,349
2005 Tommy Tuberville Capital One Bowl No. 21 Wisconsin L 10–24 57,221
2006 Tommy Tuberville Cotton Bowl Classic No. 22 Nebraska W 17–14 66,777
2007 Tommy Tuberville Chick-fil-A Bowl No. 15 Clemson W 23–20 74,413
2009 Gene Chizik Outback Bowl Northwestern W 38–35 49,383
2010 Gene Chizik BCS National Championship Game No. 2 Oregon W 22–19 78,603
2011 Gene Chizik Chick-fil-A Bowl Virginia W 43–24 72,919
2013 Gus Malzahn BCS National Championship Game No. 1 Florida State L 31–34 94,208
2014 Gus Malzahn Outback Bowl No. 17 Wisconsin L 31–34 44,023
2015 Gus Malzahn Birmingham Bowl Memphis W 31–10 59,430
2016 Gus Malzahn Sugar Bowl No. 7 Oklahoma L 19–35 54,077
2017 Gus Malzahn Peach Bowl No. 12 UCF L 27–34 72,360
2018 Gus Malzahn Music City Bowl Purdue W 63–14 59,024
2019 Gus Malzahn Outback Bowl No. 18 Minnesota L 24–31 45,652
2020 Kevin Steele Citrus Bowl No. 14 Northwestern L 19–35 15,698
2021 Bryan Harsin Birmingham Bowl No. 20 Houston L 13–17 47,100
2023 Hugh Freeze Music City Bowl Maryland L 13–31 50,088

Rivalries

Historically, Auburn has two main rivals, the cross-state Alabama Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl, and the bordering Georgia Bulldogs in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry.

Alabama

Main article: Iron Bowl

Alabama leads the series 50–37–1 through the 2023 season.[35]

Clemson

Main article: Auburn–Clemson football rivalry

Auburn leads 34–15–2 through the 2018 season.[36]

Florida

Main article: Auburn–Florida football rivalry

Auburn leads 43–39–2 through the 2019 season.[37]

Georgia

Main article: Deep South's Oldest Rivalry

Georgia leads 64–56–8 through the 2023 season.[38]

Georgia Tech

Main article: Auburn–Georgia Tech football rivalry

Auburn leads the series 47–41–4 through the 2017 season.[39]

LSU

Main article: Auburn–LSU football rivalry

LSU leads 30–24–1 through the 2023 season.[40]

Ole Miss

Main article: Auburn–Ole Miss football rivalry

Auburn leads the series 35–12 through the 2023 season.[41]

Tennessee

Main article: Auburn–Tennessee football rivalry

Auburn leads 29–22–3 through the 2020 season.[42]

Tulane

Main article: Auburn–Tulane football rivalry

Tulane leads the series 17–15–6 through the 2019 season.[43]

Traditions

Tiger Walk

Before each Auburn home football game, thousands of Auburn fans line Donahue Drive to cheer on the team as they walk from the Auburn Athletic Complex to Jordan–Hare Stadium. The tradition began in the 1950s when groups of kids would walk up the street to greet the team and get autographs. During the tenure of coach Doug Barfield, the coach urged fans to come out and support the team, and thousands did. Today the team walks down the hill and into the stadium surrounded by fans who pat them on the back and shake their hands as they walk. The largest Tiger Walk occurred on December 2, 1989, before the first ever home football game against rival Alabama—the Iron Bowl. On that day, an estimated 20,000 fans packed the one block section of road leading to the stadium. According to former athletic director David Housel, Tiger Walk has become "the most copied tradition in all of college football".[44]

"War Eagle"

Nova, "War Eagle VII"
Main article: War Eagle

There are many stories surrounding the origins of Auburn's battle cry, "War Eagle". The most popular account involves the first Auburn football game in 1892 between Auburn and the University of Georgia. According to the story, in the stands that day was an old Civil War soldier with an eagle he had found injured on a battlefield and kept as a pet. The eagle broke free and began to soar over the field, and Auburn began to march toward the Georgia end-zone. The crowd began to chant, "War Eagle" as the eagle soared. After Auburn won the game, the eagle crashed to the field and died but, according to the legend, his spirit lives on every time an Auburn man or woman yells "War Eagle!" The battle cry of "War Eagle" also functions as a greeting for those associated with the university. For many years, a live golden eagle has embodied the spirit of this tradition. The eagle was once housed on campus in The A. Elwyn Hamer Jr. Aviary (which was the second largest single-bird enclosure in the country), but the aviary was taken down in 2003 and the eagle moved to a nearby raptor center. The eagle, War Eagle VI (nicknamed "Tiger"), was trained in 2000 to fly free around the stadium before every home game to the delight of fans. The present eagle, War Eagle VIII (nicknamed "Aurea"), continues the tradition. War Eagle VI is believed to be the inspiration behind the 2005–2006 Auburn Cheerleading squad's chant, "Tigers, Tigers, Gooooooo Tigers!"

Toomer's Corner

The intersection of Magnolia Avenue and College Street in Auburn, which marks the transition from downtown Auburn to the university campus, is known as Toomer's Corner. It is named after Toomer's Drugs, a small store on the corner that has been an Auburn landmark since 1896. Hanging over the corner were two massive old oak trees, planted in 1937, and whenever there was cause for celebration in the Auburn community, toilet paper could usually be found hanging from the trees. Also known as "rolling the corner", this tradition originated after Auburn upset No. 2 Alabama in the 1972 Iron Bowl, The famous 'Punt Bama Punt' Game. "We beat the 'number 2' out of Alabama." Until the mid-1990s, the tradition was relegated to only celebrating athletic wins.

The oak trees were cut down by the university in April 2013, as a result of their being poisoned by Harvey Updyke Jr., a fan of rival Alabama.[45]

Wreck Tech Pajama Parade

The Wreck Tech Pajama Parade originated in 1896, when a group of mischievous Auburn students, determined to show up the more well-known engineers from Georgia Tech, snuck out of their dorms the night before the football game between Auburn and Tech and greased the railroad tracks. According to the story, the train carrying the Tech team slid through town and didn't stop until it was halfway to the neighboring town of Loachapoka, Alabama. The Tech team was forced to walk the five miles back to Auburn and, not surprisingly, were rather weary at the end of their journey. This likely contributed to their 45–0 loss. While the railroad long ago ceased to be the way teams traveled to Auburn and students never greased the tracks again, the tradition continues in the form of a parade through downtown Auburn. Students parade through the streets in their pajamas and organizations build floats.[46]

Award winners

A number of Auburn players and coaches have won national awards, including 66 players being named as college football All-Americans. The Tigers also have 11 coaches and players who have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

Statues

Auburn Tigers player statues
No. Player Pos. Tenure
2 Cam Newton QB 2010
7 Pat Sullivan QB 1969–71
34 Bo Jackson RB 1982–85
HC John Heisman HC 1895–99

Retired numbers

Main article: List of NCAA football retired numbers

The Tigers have retired three numbers to date, honoring the following players:[47]

Auburn Tigers retired numbers
No. Player Pos. Tenure Ref.
7 Pat Sullivan QB 1969–71 [48]
88 Terry Beasley WR 1969–71 [48]
34 Bo Jackson RB 1982–85 [48]

Hall of Fame

Players
Year Inducted 		Coaches
Year Inducted
1954 – Jimmy Hitchcock
1956 – Walter Gilbert
1991 – Pat Sullivan
1994 – Tucker Frederickson
1998 – Bo Jackson
2002 – Terry Beasley
2004 – Tracy Rocker
2009 – Ed Dyas 		1951 – "Iron Mike" Donahue
1954 – John Heisman
1982 – Ralph "Shug" Jordan
2005 – Pat Dye

National awards

Players

Heisman Trophy[49]
Best player 		Walter Camp Award[50]
Best player 		Maxwell Award
Best player 		Davey O'Brien Award
Best quarterback 		Lott IMPACT Trophy
Defensive IMPACT player
1971 – Pat Sullivan, QB
1985 – Bo Jackson, RB
2010 – Cam Newton, QB 		1971 – Pat Sullivan, QB
1985 – Bo Jackson, RB
2010 – Cam Newton, QB 		2010 – Cam Newton, QB 2010 – Cam Newton, QB 2019 – Derrick Brown, DT
Manning Award
Best quarterback 		Outland Trophy[51]
Best interior lineman 		Lombardi Award[52]
Best lineman/linebacker 		Jim Thorpe Award[53]
Best defensive back 		Rimington Trophy[54]
Best center
2010 – Cam Newton, QB 1958 – Zeke Smith,G
1988 – Tracy Rocker, DT 		1988 – Tracy Rocker, DT
2010 – Nick Fairley, DT 		2004 – Carlos Rogers, CB 2014 – Reese Dismukes, C

Coaches

Paul "Bear" Bryant Award[55]
Coach of the Year 		Eddie Robinson Award
Coach of the Year 		Sporting News Award
Coach of the Year 		Home Depot Award[56]
Coach of the Year 		Bowden Award[57]
Coach of the Year 		Broyles Award[58]
Best assistant coach
1993 – Terry Bowden
2004 – Tommy Tuberville
2010 – Gene Chizik
2013 – Gus Malzahn 		1993 – Terry Bowden
2013 – Gus Malzahn 		1993 – Terry Bowden
2004 – Tommy Tuberville
2013 – Gus Malzahn 		2010 – Gene Chizik
2013 – Gus Malzahn 		2010 – Gene Chizik
2013 – Gus Malzahn 		2004 – Gene Chizik
2010 – Gus Malzahn

1st Team All-Americans

Name Position Years Source
Jimmy Hitchcock HB 1932† WCFF, AP, NEA
Walter Gilbert C 1937[dubious – discuss] AP
Monk Gafford RB 1942 INS
Caleb "Tex" Warrington C 1944 FWAA, WCFF, AP
Travis Tidwell RB 1949 Williamson
Jim Pyburn WR 1954
Joe Childress RB 1955 FWAA
Frank D'Agostino T 1955 AFCA, AP
Fob James RB 1955 INS
Jimmy Phillips DE 1957‡ AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, TSN, NEA, INS, UP, Time
Zeke Smith OG 1958†, 1959 AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, CP, TSN, NEA, Time
Jackie Burkett C 1958 AFCA, Time
Ken Rice OT 1959, 1960† AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, CP, TSN, NEA, UPI, Time
Ed Dyas RB 1960 FWAA
Jimmy Sidle RB 1963 FWAA, AP
Tucker Frederickson RB 1964† FWAA, WCFF, NEA, CP, FN, AP, Time
Jack Thornton DT 1965 NEA
Bill Cody LB 1965
Freddie Hyatt WR 1967 TFN
David Campbell DT 1968 NEA
Buddy McClinton DB 1969† AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, CP, FN, UPI
Larry Willingham DB 1970† AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, FN, TSN, PFW, CP, NEA, UPI, Time
Pat Sullivan QB 1970, 1971‡ AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, FN, TSN, UPI
Terry Beasley WR 1970, 1971‡ AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, FN, TSN, NEA, UPI, Time
Mike Fuller S 1974 FN
Ken Bernich LB 1974† AFCA, WCFF, AP
Neil O'Donoghue PK 1976 TSN
Keith Uecker OG 1981 Mizlou
Bob Harris SS 1982
Donnie Humphrey DT 1983 WTBS
Gregg Carr LB 1984† AFCA, WCFF, AP, UPI
Bo Jackson RB 1983†, 1985‡ AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, TSN, UPI
Lewis Colbert P 1985 AFCA, TSN
Ben Tamburello C 1986‡ AFCA, FWAA, WCFF
Brent Fullwood RB 1986‡ AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, SH, TFN, UPI
Aundray Bruce LB 1987† AFCA, WCFF, SH, TFN, UPI
Kurt Crain LB 1987 AP
Stacy Searels OT 1987 AP, TFN
Tracy Rocker DT 1987†, 1988‡ AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, TSN, UPI
Walter Reeves TE 1988 TSN
Benji Roland DT 1988 TSN
Ed King OG 1989, 1990‡ AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, SH, UPI, TFN
Craig Ogletree LB 1989 TSN
David Rocker DT 1990† AFCA, WCFF, AP, UPI
Wayne Gandy OT 1993† AP, FWAA, SH, UPI
Terry Daniel P 1993† AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, TSN, SH, TFN
Brian Robinson SS 1994† WCFF, AP, TFN
Frank Sanders WR 1994 AP, FWAA, SH
Chris Shelling SS 1994 FWAA, SH
Victor Riley OT 1997 AFCA
Takeo Spikes LB 1997 TSN
Damon Duval PK 2001† AFCA, WCFF, AP
Karlos Dansby LB 2003 AFCA, ESPN
Marcus McNeill OT 2004, 2005† AP, CBS, FWAA, SI, Rivals, CFN, WCFF, TSN, ESPN
Carlos Rogers CB 2004† AP, FWAA, WCFF, SI, Rivals, CFN, ESPN, CBS
Junior Rosegreen SS 2004 SI, CBS
Carnell Williams RB 2004 AFCA
Ben Grubbs OG 2006 Rivals, ESPN, PFW
Cam Newton QB 2010† AFCA, AP, Rivals, SI, WCFF, TSN, CBS
Lee Ziemba OT 2010† AFCA, FWAA, SI, WCFF
Nick Fairley DT 2010† AP, FWAA, Rivals, SI, WCFF, ESPN, CBS, TSN
Steven Clark P 2011 AP, SI, Rivals, PFW
Tre Mason RB 2013 TSN
Chris Davis PR 2013 TSN, CBS
Reese Dismukes C 2014† WCFF, AP, AFCA, FWAA, CBS, ESPN, Scout
Carl Lawson DE 2016 FWAA
Braden Smith OG 2017 AP
Jeff Holland LB 2017 SI
Daniel Carlson PK 2017 WCFF
Carlton Davis CB 2017 SI
Derrick Brown DT 2019‡ AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, AP, TSN[59]
Roger McCreary CB 2021 ESPN, AP[60]

† Consensus All-American
‡ Unanimous All-American

Future opponents

Conference opponents

From 1992 to 2023, Auburn played in the West Division of the SEC and played each opponent in the division each year along with several teams from the East Division. The SEC will expand the conference to 16 teams and will eliminate its two divisions in 2024, causing a new scheduling format for the Tigers to play against the other members of the conference.[61] Only the 2024 conference schedule was announced on June 14, 2023, while the conference still considers a new format for the future.[62]

2024 Conference Schedule

OpponentSiteResult
at Alabama
Arkansas
at Georgia
at Kentucky
at Missouri
Oklahoma
  • Jordan-Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL
Texas A&M
  • Jordan-Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL
Vanderbilt
  • Jordan-Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL

Non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of June 20, 2023.[63]

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
California at Baylor Baylor at UCLA UCLA at Miami (FL) Miami (FL)
New Mexico Ball State Southern Miss
Louisiana–Monroe South Alabama

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