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Auburn Traditions

All universities have their traditions, and the Auburn Family is known for being “All In” while celebrating them!

Rolling Toomer’s Corner

Toomer’s Corner, the historic place where the Auburn University campus meets the City of Auburn, has long been the gathering place for Auburn athletic celebrations. After significant victories in sports, Auburn students and residents alike join forces to “roll” Toomer’s Corner with toilet tissue.* Celebrations can go on for hours and leave the heart of town looking as though a blizzard passed through. The exact date of when the tradition began is not known. However, some locals believe it was probably in 1962 or 1963. It must be experienced to be believed.

Eagle Flight

One of the most awe-inspiring traditions in college football began when Auburn’s eagle first soared over the stadium before a football game. Perhaps the finest moment for the Auburn University Eagle Flight program came in February 2002, when War Eagle VI (also known as “Tiger”) flew before the entire world as part of the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Tiger was featured the next day on NBC’s Today Show. Since Tiger’s retirement in November 2006, one of two birds has flown during home football games – Spirit, a bald eagle, and Nova (War Eagle VII), a golden eagle. Neither bird could survive in the wild, but as residents of the university’s Southeastern Raptor Center – along with other birds being rehabilitated for return to the wilderness – they have educated hundreds of thousands of people about these magnificent birds of prey.

Hey Day

On January 29, 1985, Auburn reinstated an annual tradition of the 1950s and ‘60s called “Hey Day,” a day on which all students wear name tags and say “hey” to everyone they pass. Leaders on campus join forces and pass out nametags to support this tradition and prove that Auburn University has the friendliest campus around.

Auburn Alumni

There are more than 270,000 of them worldwide. They are proud members of the Auburn Family, and you’ll usually find them wherever you go. When they discover you’re connected with their beloved university home, you’ll receive the family greeting – a resounding “War Eagle!”

Tiger Walk

This Auburn tradition began in the early 1960s when Auburn players walked from Sewell Hall to the football stadium and fans lined Donahue Drive to wish them well. Over the years, the Tiger Walk has grown into a major part of game day at Auburn, so much so that it is listed on the players’ game weekend itinerary. The largest Tiger Walk is believed to have taken place prior to the 1989 Alabama game when more than 20,000 well-wishers lined the street. Every Tiger Walk prior to home games draws thousands of people, and Tiger Walk has become a standard even as Auburn football players enter stadiums on the road. Tiger Walk is two hours before kickoff for every game.

The Foy Information Desk

Go ahead, ask any question you’d like to ask. The students at the Foy desk have been answering any question, no matter how bizarre or difficult, for 50-plus years. Featured recently on The Today Show and in O, The Oprah Magazine, as a “must have” telephone number on your speed dial (334-844-4244), current students, alumni and the occasional lost traveler seeking directions in China (yes, that’s true), have called for answers. The Foy desk, named after popular retired Dean of Students James Foy, recently moved to its new location in the Student Center.

The War Eagle Greeting

Yes, our athletics mascot is Aubie the tiger, but the symbol of the Auburn Spirit has long been the beautiful golden eagle, which flies over the field prior to home football games. There are several legends associated with the “War Eagle” greeting, and no one is certain which one may be true. But, perhaps the spirit generated by the greeting created opportunity, as Auburn later became the home of the Southeastern Raptor Center. The center rehabilitates eagles and other beautiful birds of prey to return them to the wild, and has educated hundreds of thousands of people. War Eagle!

*Because of an incident in 2011, rolling the two trees that flank the main gate to campus is being reviewed as of press time for this publication.