AUBURN — The start of Auburn football 's 2026 season was scheduled to happen at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but on Tuesday, Oct. 7, the program announced the contest, the back half of a previously scheduled home-and-home with Baylor, would move to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Both athletic director John Cohen and head coach Hugh Freeze have acknowledged the move, noting a coinciding boost to the program's name, image and likeness (NIL) efforts. Still, it took away a true home game, and it received a largely negative response from fans, mostly online and on social media.

One name of note voiced his displeasure about the switch, as Auburn mayor Ron Anders addressed the topic at Tuesday's city council meeting. He concluded the hour-plus-long meeting with a personal statement on

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