I got another letter from Jay Jacobs in my inbox tonight. Since Jay and I know each other on an email address basis, I’m sure I’m the only one that got it. Anyway, I figured you’d want to see it, so here you go.
One of the challenges that Coach Gene Chizik and his staff faced at practice this week was getting a team that won an emotional, physical and hard-fought battle against Clemson ready for another huge challenge Saturday night.
Just as the players will have to be full speed for Saturday’s Southeastern Conference game against South Carolina, we have to bring the same level of energy as a crowd as we did during last week’s remarkable comeback.
The Auburn Family made a real difference last week and certainly affected the outcome of the game. I would like to challenge you to once again be a difference maker on Saturday by making Jordan-Hare Stadium the loudest stadium in the country.
The spirit and class shown by the Auburn Family week after week at home games make our gameday atmosphere and hospitality the best in the country. It made an impression on the ESPN College Football GameDay broadcast and crew, and it made an impression on the many recruits who were in attendance at last week’s game.
I want to personally let you know how much we appreciate the crucial role you play in providing a positive gameday experience, which is one of our five strategic goals as a department. Thank you also to the students and other fans who came to the GameDay set hours in advance to make a positive impression on a national television audience. It was the biggest GameDay crowd we have ever had.
Tickets still available
South Carolina returned a portion of its ticket allotment, so a limited number of single-game tickets for Saturday’s game are still available and may be purchased by calling the Auburn Ticket Office at 1 (800) AUB-1957 or by visiting www.aubtix.com.The Ticket Office is also offering a great deal on a prorated six-game season ticket that includes tickets for our remaining home games against South Carolina, Louisiana-Monroe, Arkansas, LSU, Chattanooga (Homecoming) and Georgia.
2012 Kickoff Game
As we announced prior to Saturday’s game, we will kick off the 2012 football season against Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta. The Kickoff Game is a great opportunity for our team to play in a world-class venue at the Georgia Dome in a high-profile game.Our goal for the football team is to get back to Atlanta for the Southeastern Conference Championship game, and opening the season there will be an advantage for our team. Scheduling the game in 2012 allowed us to keep our commitments with our existing game contracts while also meeting our goal of scheduling a high-quality BCS non-conference opponent in addition to our eight SEC games. There is no doubt the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is a win-win for Auburn, Clemson and the Chick-fil-A organization.
Auburn Arena Grand Opening
Excitement continues to build as the Auburn Arena Grand Opening draws near. The Grand Opening is set for Friday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. CT. It will be a special night as we celebrate the opening of the incredible new $86 million Auburn Arena.This celebration will highlight the men’s and women’s basketball teams, giving fans their first opportunity to see new Head Coach Tony Barbee and his team as well as Coach Nell Fortner and her team. The Grand Opening will also feature a special performance by the Harlem Globetrotters. It will be the first time the Globetrotters have performed in Auburn in more than 40 years.
Tickets for the event are free. They will first be made available to all Auburn men’s and women’s basketball season ticket holders. Season ticket holders may RSVP for as many tickets as they have purchased for the season via e-mail or by calling the Ticket Office. Any additional tickets remaining will be made available to the general public for free at the Auburn Arena Ticket Office beginning Oct. 4.
Fans who want to be a part of Auburn basketball history in the inaugural season at Auburn Arena can order season tickets online at www.aubtix.com, by calling the Ticket Office at 1 (800) AUB-1957 or in person at the Auburn Arena Ticket Office.
Big weekend on The Plains
In addition to a Top 15 matchup between Auburn and South Carolina, there are a host of other great events taking place on campus this weekend. The Auburn soccer team will play its SEC home opener against Mississippi State on Friday at 7 p.m. CT, while the volleyball team opens home SEC play against Kentucky, also at 7 p.m. Friday. The Auburn equestrian team will host South Dakota State at 10 a.m. Friday, and volleyball and soccer both play at home again on Sunday. For more information on the weekend’s busy schedule of events, visit www.auburntigers.com.Let’s have another great weekend in Auburn. Hope to see you here.
God Bless and War Eagle!
Jay