Auburn’s decision to shift its season-opening game against Baylor to Atlanta wasn’t sold as a simple scheduling tweak by athletic director John Cohen. He framed it as a hard choice shaped by the financial pressure cooker that college athletics has become.
Speaking earlier this week on Locked on Auburn while at 2026 SEC Media Days, Cohen made clear that moving a home game off campus was not something Auburn approached casually.
"It took a dramatic set of circumstances to move a home game to Atlanta," Cohen said.
Cohen said the matchup gives Auburn a chance to put its players in an NFL stadium, but he also stressed that there’s no replacing Jordan-Hare Stadium in the minds of the people running the program.
"I thought it was a unique opportunity for us. I think it's a great opportunity for our players to play in an NFL stadium," he said.
"But make no mistake about it. Playing in Jordan-Hare is what all of us want, as many opportunities as we possibly can."
The bigger message from Cohen was about why Auburn is making moves like this in the first place. In his view, the program is doing whatever it can to generate revenue and keep pace in an SEC landscape now shaped by NIL and revenue sharing.
"We're running a bake sale. When you're running that bake sale, it doesn't always work the way you want it to."
That approach has already shown up in a range of efforts around campus, including trading card shows, concerts and fundraising events, with the neutral-site opener now added to the list. Cohen said Auburn is operating in a system that demands those kinds of measures right now, even if he doesn’t see that model as sustainable forever.
"At some point, the adults have to step forward, and we have to find a solution to this because it can't be done forever," Cohen said. "Those who aren't having to put on the bake sales need to get together and say, 'Enough is enough, and let's come to a reasonable solution.'"
The Baylor game may not be the last Auburn contest moved away from campus. There has already been speculation about a baseball game or series being shifted next season to a neutral site, with possible locations including a minor league baseball stadium or Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.
For now, Auburn is leaning into the reality of the moment and trying to use every available avenue to stay competitive.
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