Auburn To Revive Toomer's Corner Tradition After 6-Year Hiatus

Auburn Tigers fans gather at Toomer's Corner.

Getty Image

An Auburn tradition will be revived this fall for the first time in six years. Tiger fans will be able to celebrate big wins at Toomer’s Corner in 2023 following a brief hiatus.

The news has sparked an immediate reaction from the college football world, giving everyone some positivity as the season approaches.

The postgame ritual of toilet papering the oak trees at Toomer’s Corner is one of the best in college sports. Though it’s not exactly clear when the postgame celebration began, the rolling has been a staple in the SEC for years.

The intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue is where Auburn’s campus and the City of Auburn meet. It’s also home to the famed Toomer’s Drugs, where the tradition of rolling the corner is said to have begun. The local drug store had the only telegraph in the city, so when employees received news of an Auburn victory at an away game, they would throw the ticker tape onto the power lines of the intersection.

Unfortunately, the tradition had to be halted due to the actions of a rival fan. In early 2011, the trees at Toomer’s Corner were found to have been poisoned by Alabama fan Harvey Updyke. That crime took place following Auburn’s incredible 2010 Iron Bowl win.

In that matchup, star signal caller Cam Newton led the Tigers back from a 24-0 deficit to win 28-27. Newton would go on to win the Heisman and lead Auburn to a national championship.

After admitting to poisoning the iconic oaks, Updyke was forced to spend more than 70 days in jail. He passed away in 2020 at the age of 71.

Auburn transplanted new trees in 2015, but the toilet papering tradition was again suspended in 2016 due to one tree being damaged by a fire midseason and another not surviving the move. The two trees were replaced again in 2017, and they’ve now been deemed suitable for rolling.