When Auburn announced it would relocate its season opener from Jordan-Hare Stadium to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, I was openly doubtful. Personally, I think neutral-site games should be rare, since they’ve cost the city of Auburn and its local businesses millions of dollars.
Although Auburn’s athletic director, John Cohen, justified the move with reasons like $5 million in NIL funding and national TV exposure, taking the game off campus especially during a long holiday weekend and after fans stuck with Jordan-Hare through the team’s worst years doesn’t make sense to me.
Now that the kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT (3:30 p.m. in Atlanta), I’m even more confused. If the goal was a larger TV audience, that may have backfired, because the Tigers and Bears will be playing in the middle of opening Saturday, when respectfully much bigger games are on.
Will Auburn fans still show up?
Moving last year’s game to Friday night as the sole primetime matchup on a national network was perfectly logical. This decision, however, seems unwise on the part of everyone involved, including those who set the game time.
If Atlanta expected a full day of tailgating from a sea of Auburn fans anticipating a night game, that expectation has fizzled. And for Atlanta hotels, many reservations may have been canceled, since most Auburn fans likely live close enough to drive to the city and back the same day.
But what if Auburn fans simply decide not to go? It’s Labor Day weekend, and there are plenty of alternatives to traveling to Atlanta for a game. If Auburn doesn’t fill the stadium, Baylor certainly won’t. I’m sure those with game-day condos and houses in Auburn would have preferred spending the weekend on the Plains.
If the organizers of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game wanted more buzz, the game would have kicked off at 6 p.m. ET at the earliest. Even though tailgating space around the downtown stadium is limited, give fans what they want: a day of drinking followed by a matchup featuring two teams with something to prove.
But all of this could have been avoided if Auburn hadn’t sold out for the price tag of a neutral-site game. I’m confident more Baylor fans would have traveled to the Plains to experience Jordan-Hare and an SEC campus atmosphere than would fly to Atlanta a great city, but one where a pro stadium offers little energy.
All the upgrades Auburn’s athletic department has made and plans to make to Jordan-Hare won’t matter if they keep scheduling these neutral-site games instead of playing in one of college football’s cathedrals.
I’m sure Auburn and Baylor fans will still enjoy the weekend, and hopefully the game is a good one. But given the kickoff time and all the other factors surrounding this rematch of last year’s game in Waco, things could have been much better.
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