Exclusive: Auburn AD John Cohen explains Baylor game move, NIL influence

Auburn athletics director John Cohen joined AuburnSports for an exclusive interview to talk about the dynamics of moving the 2026 home football game against Baylor to Atlanta.

The decision wasn’t easy for Cohen: keep a home game in Auburn or secure a significant boost in NIL opportunities — which, in turn, frees up resources for revenue sharing. In the end, building a championship roster has never been more difficult — or more important. AuburnSports aimed to give Cohen a platform to explain the administration’s decision, allowing fans to form their own opinions about the move and the future of college football.

The move was announced on Monday, as the game will be played inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It will be the Aflac Kickoff Game.

NIL was the driving factor behind the decision. Auburn is set to gain $4-8 million that will go towards their student-athletes.

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