The Auburn Spirit

Quick Facts

Established Date:	1856
Location:	Auburn, Alabama
Campus Landmark:	Samford Hall, the main administration building
1st Land Grant college in the South
Name Auburn comes from... Since 1856, the University has had four official names: East Alabama Male College, Agricultural and Mechanical College, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, and presently, Auburn University. Accounts since the 19th century show that, regardless of the official name, the state's land grant university has always been known as Auburn, a name taken from an Oliver Goldsmith poem, " The Deserted Village." The poem includes the line, "Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain." Our "tiger" mascot also comes from a line that same poem "where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey."
Enrollment:	25,078 (2010-11)
Alumni:	Since opening its doors in 1856, Auburn University has awarded more than 250,000 academic degrees.
Mascot:	Tigers
Battle Cry:	War Eagle!
Costumed mascot:	Aubie
Fight Song:	War Eagle!
Colors:	Navy (PMS 289) and Orange (PMS 172)
First Football Team:	1892

Auburn University Music

Fight Song: WAR EAGLE

To obtain permission to use the WAR EAGLE fight song contact:
Patty Allen
Charlie Deitcher Productions, Inc.
P.O. Box 487
Quogue, NY 11959
Phone: 631-653-4223

Other Songs:
Glory to Ole Auburn
Tiger Rags
Alma Mater

Auburn Creed

I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count
only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.

I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work
wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot
win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is
not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities.

I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.

I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my
fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

I believe in my country, because it is a land of freedom and
because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that
country by doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly
with my God.

And because Auburn men and women believe in these things,
I believe in Auburn and love it.

George Petrie

Aubie

Auburn's costumed Tiger mascot is a spirit leader and goodwill ambassador for Auburn University. A popular character among Auburn fans and one of the more animated mascots in the country, Aubie has been on the job since 1979. His crazy antics and mischievous personality helped transform Aubie into the mascot we all love today. Some of his endeavors, as well as his constant promotion of Auburn spirit, are why Aubie was selected as the #1 collegiate mascot in the entire nation in 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2006, and 2012 by the Universal Cheerleaders Association. To see Aubie in action, view his official website at www.auburn.edu/aubie For detailed pictures of Aubie, email our office at blackj2@auburn.edu

Tigers or War Eagles?

Auburn's nickname is the TIGERS.

Auburn's battle cry is "WAR EAGLE!"

Through the years, these two Auburn terms have often been used interchangeably and incorrectly. In fact, when the Tigers play a game on the road, there is often an article written in the local paper wondering why Auburn has three nicknames -- the Auburn Tigers, the Auburn War Eagles and the Auburn Plainsmen.

To set the record straight, Auburn has only one nickname -- the Auburn Tigers.

"War Eagle" is a battle cry, used by Auburn fans in the same manner Alabama fans yell "Roll Tide!" and Arkansas fans yell "Woo Pig Sooie!" You never hear Alabama referred to as the Alabama Roll Tides or Arkansas as the Arkansas Sooie Pigs, and to call Auburn teams the Auburn War Eagles would be just as incorrect. The battle cry "War Eagle" should never have an "s" on the end of it. The nickname "Tigers" comes from a line in Oliver Goldsmith's poem, "The Deserted Village," published in May 1770, "where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey..."

The term "Plainsmen" comes from a line in that same Goldsmith poem, "Sweet Auburn, loveliest (sic) village of the plain..." Since Auburn athletes were, in the early days, men from the Plains, it was only natural for newspaper headline writers to shorten that to "Plainsmen."

To clarify things, we are the Auburn Tigers. Our battle cry of War Eagle illustrates our spirit. Plainman portrays the character of an Auburn man or woman. It may be confusing to an outsider, but to Auburn people, it is very simple!

Traditions

Tiger Walk

TigerWalk is an Auburn tradition which began in the early 1960s when Auburn players would walk from Sewell Hall to the football stadium and fans would line 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. Fans line the street more than two hours before game time to cheer, sing and support the team. 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. Tiger Walk even goes on the road where fans greet the Tigers as they leave the buses to enter the stadium.

Rolling Toomer's Corner

The center of town, where the Auburn University campus meets the City of Auburn. Toomer's Corner, where College Street intersects Magnolia Avenue, has long been the gathering place for Auburn athletic celebrations. After any football win, and significant victories in other sports, Auburn students and citizens alike join forces to "roll" the trees (and anything else that doesn't move) at Toomer's Corner with toilet tissue. Celebrations after significant football victories can go on for hours and leave the heart of town looking like a blizzard passed through.

The Eagle - Tiger VII

Before each home football game, the battle cry Warrrr Eagle can be heard as War Eagle VII, Auburn's golden eagle, gracefully circles the stadium and lands determinedly at midfield as an unwavering icon of the Auburn Spirit. War Eagle VII weighs a little more than 6 pounds and has a wing span of more than six feet. In November 2006, Nova took on the title War Eagle VII when War Eagle VI (named Tiger) retired.

War Eagle VII's role is to help promote wildlife conservation as a part of the conservation education efforts of Auburn's Raptor Center, where she is housed by permission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency responsible for protecting fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

Birds of prey such as War Eagle VII are among the most popular forms of wildlife in the world. They symbolize strength and courage as well as other important values, such as freedom, heritage and the preservation of our natural environment. With this charismatic quality, they can be used as flagship species to focus attention on the need for wildlife research and conservation. Perhaps the biggest recognition the Raptor Center has received was during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where War Eagle VI flew across the ice in front of thousands in the stadium and billions of viewers worldwide. After her outstanding performance, War Eagle VI was also featured on NBC's Today Show.

Campus Landmarks

Auburn University has many buildings and landmarks in which Auburn people hold dear. To view pictures and read historical information about some of these places, go to the University's campus map system. Select the landmark in which you are interested and click on "view information".

Some of the buildings and landmarks in which you might be interested are listed below.

Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum
Cater Hall
Chapel
Comer Hall
Hargis Hall
Jordan-Hare Stadium
Jules Collins Smith Museum
Plainsmen Park
President's Mansion
Samford Hall
Toomer's Corner

Athletics

Football

Auburn has participated in 36 Bowl Games
Football All-Americans: 61
Heisman Trophy Winners: 3 (Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson & Cam Newton)
Football - Undefeated seasons: 4
Two national championships in 1957 & 2010
Jordan-Hare Stadium Capacity: 87,451
Seven Southeastern Conference football titles
Seven SEC Western Division titles
12 College Football Hall Of Fame Members

Quick Facts about Jordan-Hare Stadium
Nation's 10th largest on-campus stadium Named for Ralph "Shug" Jordan, Auburn's all time winningest football coach and Clifford Leroy Hare, a member of Auburn's first football team, president of the old Southern Conference and longtime chairman of Auburn's Faculty Athletic Committee.

Capacity: 87,451
Dedicated on November 30, 1939 (known then as Auburn Stadium; capacity of 7,500)
In 2005, the field was named after Coach Pat Dye
Auburn has a .791 winning percentage at home
Total attendance 1939-2010: 21,283,357

Basketball

The Auburn University Board of Trustees approved the building of the new $92.5 million Auburn Arena and practice facility on June 29, 2007. The Auburn Arena officially opened October 16, 2010, and has a seating capacity of 9,600.