Local mayor criticizes Auburn football's decision to move 2026 home game for NIL money

Auburn football’s decision to move its 2026 home game against Baylor to Atlanta as part of the Aflac Kickoff Game for a $5 million investment into the program’s NIL initiatives has drawn sharp criticism from local Auburn businesses and city leaders. The move was revealed Tuesday by On3’s  Brett McMurphy.

Auburn mayor Ron Anders publicly rebuked the move during Tuesday night’s city council meeting in a personal statement that was applauded by several other council members.

“Yesterday and today, I’ve had a number of conversations with local business owners since it was announced next seasons’ Auburn-Baylor game will be played in Atlanta instead of Auburn,” Auburn mayor Ron Anders said via video posted by Opelika-Auburn News sports editor Justin Lee. “I know how important home games are to the livelihood of local businesses and to our local economy here in Auburn, where sales tax is our largest revenue source. … I’ve spoken to the athletic director Mr. John Cohen and President Chris Roberts and shared my disappointment and concern.

“Our local business community employs our citizens, they sponsor our youth teams, they donate to our local charities, the taxes they create fill our potholes, support our police officers, purchase our fire trucks, build our parks and improve our roads. I want to thank every business owner who believes in Auburn and makes a daily investment in our city.”

Several other council members immediately responded with support for Anders’ condemnation of Auburn’s decision.

“Spot on, I support what you say,” one council member said off screen. “Absolutely, and shame on the university,” another council member said, also off screen.

Next season’s Baylor game at Jordan-Hare Stadium was originally set to be the return game of a home-and-home series with the Bears that began with this year’s season-opener in Waco, a 38-24 Auburn win.

The decision to move the game to Atlanta was made in large part to better embrace the new world order of modern college athletics in the day and age of revenue-sharing, NIL (name, image and likeness) opportunities, and the NCAA Transfer Portal. By agreeing to move the game to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Peach Bowl Inc., which runs the Aflac Kickoff Game, will provide Auburn student-athletes with NIL opportunities that will compensate Tigers athletes for appearances and other promotional responsibilities tied to the event, according to AuburnSports’ Justin Hokanson.

The Auburn mayor acknowledged the challenges college athletic departments face nowadays, but also made it clear his first consideration is with the citizens and local businesses in his city.

“Look, I want to follow-up and say, it’s a new day we have to work in, the rules have changed for everyone, and I certainly understand the rules have changed for Auburn University and the athletic department too,” Anders said. “But the people that work with us every single day need to know that we support them and believe in them.”