07 Aug 2025 Photography Auburn

Auburn Football Dinner Kickoff

In a previous post, Monochrome Monday Stadium Version I had talked about how this year during the sports season I was.

Inside Auburn's Old Football Practice Facility (view full res)

In a previous post, Monochrome Monday Stadium Version I had talked about how this year during the sports season I was determined to haul my camera around with me and document the event. Sometimes that is more difficult than it sounds, especially in Atlanta at places like State Farm Arena (see Navigating Atlanta to State Farm Arena where they rudely took my camera). This dinner was, to me, the first “event” in the 2025–2026 sports season, so my camera gladly came along with me.

(On a side note... For the uninitiated in college sports, the seasons run somewhat around the collegiate calendar, but the season officially ends when the NCAA baseball tournament is over (which in Auburn’s case was in June). It begins with the kickoff of the football season, which in Auburn’s case this year is Auburn vs Baylor in Waco on a rare Friday night game, August 29th. So this year, the “season” will run from August 29th through sometime in June.)

Every year the Auburn football program marks the one month to kick off with a dinner for the Tigers Unlimited ticked holders. Every year it has grown a little more, requiring larger and larger venues, until last year when it was moved from Auburn Arena to the old football practice facility. I love the old practice facility, especially since it’s air conditioned, with the exception that it’s very hard to hear in a building that size. As my dad put it, it’s like trying to listen to a speech being given in Grand Central Station.

Big Turnouts

War Eagle Stage Balloons (view full res)

This year there were about 1700 people at the dinner, which was catered BBQ and fixings (last year it was Bow & Arrow, a fantastic local restaurant). Sports life in this town is very rhythmic and (somewhat) predictable, minus the outcomes. You can literally set your calendar by the seasons as they move from football to basketball, gymnastics, swimming, and so on. In my family, we follow the schedule of football, basketball, and baseball. A collective time suck that is way more than someone might imagine who isn’t from here.

Andy Burcham, John Cohen, and Coach Hugh Freeze Speaking (view full res)

10 Yard Line of the Practice Field (view full res)

Walking Through Campus

Looking at Jordan-Hare Stadium from Beard-Eaves (view full res)

As you walk into the practice facility you walk between Beard-Eaves Coliseum (the old basketball arena) and the Watson Field House with Jordan-Hare Stadium and Plainsman Park as the backdrop behind you. All of the facilities here are incredible. I’m sure it’s about the same across all similar SEC Division-I sports-centric campus locations. But as a fan, you get just barely less-than, or smaller-than, pro-level venues for all sporting events. I can still think back to 20–30 years ago when we use to come here for games and it wasn’t like this at all. The transformation of this town in the last few decades has been somewhat mind blowing.

East Entrance to Beard-Eaves Coliseum (view full res)

South Side of Beard-Eaves Coliseum (view full res)

My Dad Walking Out with the Cheerleaders (view full res)

We opted to pass on tickets to the Auburn vs Baylor game in Waco this year, so our first home game in Auburn will be September 6th against Ball State. I'm going to try to get some unique images of the games this year, not the normal tourist shots, not even sure what that looks like but we'll see in a few weeks. For those wanting to know the gear info, all the images here were taken with my Nikon Z30 and 24mm f/1.7 lens.