Auburn fans are thrilled to learn that Nick Saban is retiring as head coach at the University of Alabama. They are so excited that the greatest coach in college football history is leaving their biggest rival that a group of students proceeded to partake in the school’s most sacred tradition.
The Tigers rolled Toomer’s Corner.
It is a ritual that typically occurs after big wins. Saban’s retirement, apparently, is a win worthy of a roll.
Considering recent history, the roll might be warranted. Nick Saban took over the Crimson Tide in 2007.
The two in-state rivals played 17 times during his tenure. Alabama defeated Auburn 12 times.
One of the Tigers’ wins came in Saban’s first season. The second occurred in the year where Cam Newton led his team to an undisputed national championship at 14-0 by one point. Another was the Kick Six.
That isn’t to take away from Auburn’s five wins. It goes to say that Saban was dominant.
- 2007: Auburn 17 – Alabama 10
- 2008: Alabama 36 – Auburn 0
- 2009: Alabama 26 – Auburn 21
- 2010: Auburn 28 – Alabama 27
- 2011: Alabama 41 – Auburn 14
- 2012: Alabama 49 – Auburn 0
- 2013: Auburn 34 – Alabama 28
- 2014: Alabama 55 – Auburn 44
- 2015: Alabama 29 – Auburn 13
- 2016: Alabama 30 – Auburn 12
- 2017: Auburn 26 – Alabama 14
- 2018: Alabama 52 – Auburn 21
- 2019: Auburn 48 – Alabama 45
- 2020: Alabama 42 – Auburn 13
- 2021: Alabama 24 – Auburn 22
- 2022: Alabama 49 – Auburn 27
- 2023: Alabama 27 – Auburn 24
Auburn rolled Toomer’s Corner to celebrate Nick Saban’s retirement.
The amount of toilet paper on the trees at Toomer’s Corner increased substantially as time went on after the news first broke. Here is how it looked 80 minutes after the first report:
A livestream of the legendary corner always provides a real-time look.
Auburn’s campus and the City of Auburn meet on the intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue. Also on that corner sits Toomer’s Drugs, hence the name Toomer’s Corner.
That is where the tradition began.
Toomer’s Drugs had the only telegraph in the city back in the day. So when employees at the local pharmacy received news of a Tigers win at an away game, they would throw the ticker tape onto the power lines at the intersection to alert the community.
Eventually, many (unknown) years later, the ticker tape became toilet paper and the power lines became the oak trees. Rolling Toomer’s Corner was born.
With every Auburn win, Tigers fans throw toilet paper onto the trees. They also did so for Saban’s retirement!