Auburn’s schedule this fall is packed with the kind of games that make a season feel bigger than the record.
With the SEC moving to a nine-game conference format, the Iron Bowl and the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry are locked in for the Tigers for the next several years. That means Alabama and Georgia are staying on Auburn’s slate, and the recent results haven’t exactly tilted the Tigers’ way: Auburn has won only three times combined in its last 10 meetings with those two programs.
That backdrop makes the first season under Alex Golesh even more interesting. After SEC Media Days, it was hard to miss how many familiar names and old connections are stacked into Auburn’s schedule, whether the rivalry is traditional or just built on recent history.
The biggest ones are obvious. Auburn has to go on the road for its latest trips to face the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide, but it will also see Florida and LSU again after long gaps.
The Florida series carries a lot of history. Auburn and the Gators played every year for 58 straight seasons from 1945 through 2002, but since then they’ve met only four times. LSU, meanwhile, was a yearly opponent from 1992 through 2023 as a divisional rival, and now it’s back on Auburn’s schedule for the first time since the SEC dropped its two-division structure.
LSU head coach Lane Kiffin pointed to just how difficult Auburn can be when he talked about the matchup.
"I think that they're going to be a really improved program, and that's a really hard place to play always and really gives people a lot of problems," LSU head coach Lane Kiffin said of Auburn. "Kind of a magical stadium that magical things happen in. That's one of many extremely competitive games we have, including really for the first time that you have five road conference games."
Kiffin is entering his first season at LSU, and he already has a connection to Auburn. The program reportedly pursued him before hiring Hugh Freeze in 2023, which only adds another layer to a meeting that already feels loaded.
There’s more of that around the schedule, too. Florida hired Jon Sumrall this offseason after he had been heavily linked to Auburn, and Golesh beat the Gators last season while leading South Florida to a road upset.
Auburn’s trip to Tennessee brings another familiar face into the picture. The Tigers and Volunteers haven’t played since 2020, but for Golesh it will be a reunion, too - he spent two seasons as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator under Josh Heupel.
In Other News...
Auburns New Backfield Has One Early Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Alex Golesh has made it clear from the start that Auburns offense is going to lean on tempo and the run game, and the new backfield mix is built to match that vision. The Tigers added Nykahi Davenport, Tae Meadows and Baylor transfer Bryson Washington to give the offense more depth and more options behind the returning pieces, a move that fits the kind of physical, up-tempo identity Golesh wants to establish.
Washington, though, is still the name to watch as camp unfolds. Golesh said the transfer has made progress, but the staff is still working to get him fully ready for the demands of the offense, which leaves Auburn with an early evaluation point in a backfield that otherwise looks deep enough to keep the competition moving. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Most Fragile Position Suddenly Feels Far More Important
Auburns special teams setup is getting a fresh look for 2026 under new coordinator Jacob Bronowski, and the unit has a different feel than it did a year ago. The Tigers still have some stability in place with kicker Alex McPherson, punter Hudson Kaak and kick returner Pleasant, but the operation also has a new starting long snapper in Powell, a transfer from Miami (Ohio), which makes the whole kicking game feel a little more interconnected than usual.
The biggest open question sits at punt returner, where the job is up for grabs after Malcolm Simmons transferred out. For a team that knows how quickly one shaky snap, hold or return can change field position, that competition matters more than it might on the surface, especially with Bronowski trying to settle the group before the 2026 season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Faces A Recruiting Showdown For An In-State Quarterback Target
Auburns quarterback recruiting board has another in-state name worth tracking, as Gadsden City High Schools Sam Sollie has set a verbal commitment date for Aug. 8. The Class of 2028 prospect has spent the offseason looking at a handful of SEC programs, with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State and Tennessee all in the mix, and Rivals already projects him as a future SEC passer.
For Auburn, the interest is especially notable because the Tigers have hosted Sollie more than any other finalist, giving them a strong foothold in a race that still has several heavyweight programs involved. The 3-star quarterback has the kind of profile that tends to draw late attention once the calendar turns toward a decision, and his choice will say plenty about how the early battles for elite Alabama talent are shaping up. [Read more 🡒]