Auburn Traditions
Auburn University's core traditions are passion and spirit. These are the hallmarks of the Auburn Family, and you would be hard-pressed to find a program more steeped in tradition. It's great to be an Auburn Tiger. War Eagle!
Auburn Nickname
To get right to the point, Auburn's only nickname is the Tigers. We're the Auburn Tigers. Auburn has been known as the Tigers since the university first fielded a football team in 1892 to play the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta.
The official mascot of Auburn is Aubie the Tiger, and all Auburn athletics teams (men's and women's) are nicknamed the Tigers. The nickname "Tigers" comes from a line in Oliver Goldsmith's poem, "The Deserted Village," published in May 1770, "where crouching tigers await their hapless prey..."
“War Eagle” is Auburn's battle cry. Auburn has never referred to any of its teams as “Eagles” or “War Eagles.” To the Auburn Family, it's very simple. We are the Tigers who yell “War Eagle!”
The Auburn Creed
At the heart of the Auburn Family is the Auburn Creed. George Petrie wrote what he felt all Auburn students, faculty, and staff stood for. Today, the Auburn Creed is the beloved Auburn doctrine.
War Eagle
Whether you’re shouting it, watching the eagle fly inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, or singing the Auburn fight song, “War Eagle” is more than a statement. It’s a greeting. It’s a battle cry. It’s a cherished tradition to members of the Auburn family and strikes a chord with all those who understand its meaning.
Aubie the Tiger
Aubie, Auburn’s tiger mascot, is a spirit leader and goodwill ambassador for Auburn University. A popular character among Auburn fans and one of the most animated mascots in the country, Aubie is the living spirit of Auburn. His striking good looks, personal appeal, and daring antics combine to make a character that fans cannot ignore. It is often said women love him, children adore him, and men want to be him.
Aubie has won eleven national championships — more than any other mascot in the United States. Aubie was named the 2014 Capital One Mascot of the Year and was among the first three college mascots inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006.
Aubie began as a cartoon character on the Auburn vs. Hardin-Simmons football program cover on October 3, 1959. Birmingham Post-Herald Artist Phil Neel created the cartoon tiger that would adorn Auburn football program covers for 18 years.
Gameday
Football gameday at Auburn is a unique and powerful experience that rivals any university in the nation. Some of the most storied traditions enjoyed on fall Saturdays include the famous Tiger Walk, the majestic pre-game eagle flight, the pageantry of the Auburn marching band and spirit squads, and the ever-popular rolling of the Auburn Oaks at Toomer’s Corner to celebrate hard-fought victories. This is where tradition lives. This is Auburn.
Hey Day
Hey Day is one of the most beloved Auburn traditions, dating back to 1947.
After WWII ended, Auburn students who served in the war felt unseen and unheard as they transitioned back to campus life. In response, Auburn University’s student body and members of the Student Government Association pushed for a day that would unite the Auburn Family and promote a friendly atmosphere.
Each year, Auburn students carry on the Hey Day tradition. Name tags are distributed across campus, making it easy to greet and connect with students, faculty, staff, and the community. Hey Day is one of Auburn’s longest-standing and most cherished traditions.
War Eagle Road
If you drive to Auburn University’s campus, you’ll discover a unique musical road that delights drivers and passengers — especially if they’re Tiger fans.
Drivers traveling down War Eagle Road, a stretch of South Donahue Drive headed toward Samford Avenue, will hear the first seven War Eagle Fight Song notes. Rumble strips are typically placed at the edge of a road to alert drivers and, in most cases, are anything but pleasant to the ear — but with some reverse engineering, these vibrations can create distinctive frequencies that simulate musical notes.
War Eagle Road is the third musical road in the United States and the first on a college campus. The project was a gift to the Auburn Family from Tim Arnold, who graduated from Auburn with an industrial engineering degree in 1994.
Cater Callouts
Held on the front and back steps of Katherine Cooper Cater Hall, callouts are a time when students who have been chosen for membership into certain campus organizations are announced.
Loveliest Village
Auburn is the proud home of Auburn University and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, one of the world's finest. It's the coolest college town in the South, according to us, and one of the top 10 cities in the U.S. for small businesses, according to Forbes. Centrally located near Atlanta, Birmingham, and Montgomery, Auburn is easy to get to and easy to love.
A-Day
Each spring, the football team plays a scrimmage game at Jordan-Hare Stadium that gives Auburn fans a chance to preview the Tigers before the fall. Fans come from all over to see the A-Day game.
Homecoming
Aside from being a time for the alumni, Homecoming is a great time for the students. Spirits are high with events, including the Omicron Delta Kappa Cake Race, the big game on Saturday, painted signs and windows and election of Miss Homecoming. In addition, the University Program Council brings events to celebrate the week, known as "Tiger Nights." Events include an outdoor cartoonist, hypnotists, fireworks, and bands on the campus for students to enjoy.
War Eagle Road
If you drive to Auburn University’s campus, you’ll discover a unique musical road that delights drivers and passengers — especially if they’re Tiger fans.
Drivers traveling down War Eagle Road, a stretch of South Donahue Drive headed toward Samford Avenue, will hear the first seven War Eagle Fight Song notes. Rumble strips are typically placed at the edge of a road to alert drivers and, in most cases, are anything but pleasant to the ear — but with some reverse engineering, these vibrations can create distinctive frequencies that simulate musical notes.
War Eagle Road is the third musical road in the United States and the first on a college campus. The project was a gift to the Auburn Family from Tim Arnold, who graduated from Auburn with an industrial engineering degree in 1994.
Fight Song
Auburn’s fight song, “War Eagle,” was introduced at the beginning of the 1955 football season and has since been the university’s official fight song. The Auburn University Marching Band plays the fight song often during march down, pep rallies, athletics events, and more. “War Eagle” also rings from the Samford Hall clock tower daily at noon.
“War Eagle, fly down the field,
Ever to conquer, never to yield.
War Eagle, fearless and true.
Fight on you orange and blue.
Go! Go! Go!
On to vict’ry, strike up the band.
Give ‘em hell, give ‘em hell,
Stand up and yell, hey!
War Eagle, win for Auburn,
Power of Dixieland!”
Alma Mater
Singing Auburn’s Alma Mater is a favorite campus tradition, not just because of the words but also the actions. Students attending Camp War Eagle will participate in a pep rally on the first night and learn how to sing the Alma Mater. Students learn the cherished Auburn tradition of standing and swaying to the music, arms linked when singing the Alma Mater.
On the rolling plains of Dixie ‘neath the sun-kissed sky,
Proudly stands our Alma Mater, banners high.
To thy name we’ll sing the praise, from hearts that love so true,
And pledge to thee our loyalty the ages through.
We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow to work for thy just fame,
And hold in memory as we do now thy cherished name.
Composed by Bill Wood in 1942, with word revision in 1960.
