Jordan-Hare Stadium – Auburn Tigers

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86

Jordan-Hare Stadium 251 S Donahue Dr Auburn, AL 36849

Auburn Tigers website Jordan-Hare Stadium website

Year Opened: 1939 Capacity: 87,451

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The War Eagle’s Nest

Jordan-Hare Stadium is one of the most legendary venues in the Southeastern Conference. Built in 1939, it has gone through 14 renovations/expansions over the years and is now the 12th largest on campus stadium in the country at a seating capacity of 87,451. The stadium is named for legendary coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan and Clifford Hare, a member of the inaugural Auburn football team who went on to be the faculty representative on the school’s Athletic Committee.

Additionally, the field is named for Pat Dye, a former coach and athletic director at the school. These three men played an important role in making Jordan-Hare Stadium an intimidating place to play, as the Tiger’s boast a .800 home winning percentage.

Food & Beverage 3

Jordan-Hare Stadium has 22 general concession stands offering the following items: hot dogs ($3), nachos ($4), pizza ($8), burger w/chips ($8), turkey sandwich ($8), popcorn ($4), and jumbo pretzels ($5). Drinks include Coca-Cola products ($6), water ($2) and frozen lemonade ($7). There are also a number of stands which serve more specialized items. These include Bodacious Burgers, Boiled Peanuts, Chick-fil-A, Fat Boy’s BBQ, Habanero’s, Meltz, Nuts about Auburn, Tiger Treats and Twisted and Twisted Pretzels. All concession stands offer Domino’s Pizza and Dreamland BBQ.

Atmosphere 4

On home game weekends, the Loveliest Village on the Plain becomes the fifth largest city in Alabama. Activities get underway early as tailgaters can begin entering the campus on Fridays. There is plenty to do on Fridays, as the school opens up the Tiger locker room for tours from 4-6pm. Friday nights are set aside for visiting old friends and trying out the newest restaurants on College Avenue.

The east exterior walls of Jordan-Hare are a virtual history lesson about Auburn football. Several murals illustrate top moments from Auburn games of the past, and statues celebrate the Tigers three Heisman Trophy winners (Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson and Cam Newton) .

Game days get underway with the Coca-Cola Fan Fest opening 4 hours prior to the game. The Tiger Walk is held 2 hours before kickoff and is followed by a spirit march and pep rally outside the stadium. By now the Tiger fan base is stirred into frenzy with Aubie, the team’s wildly popular mascot, leading the cheers. Once everyone has made it to their seats inside the stadium the pregame excitement is capped by the flight of yet another mascot, Spirit the War Eagle who circles Jordan-Hare before landing precisely at the 50 yard line. Only then can the game begin.

Neighborhood 4

The neighborhood surrounding Jordan-Hare is your typical “town and gown” layout, with the campus on one side of the street and the businesses and residential areas on the other. The quaint college town of Auburn has long been known by its moniker of the “Loveliest Village on the Plain. Even as the University has grown, the town has retained its small town charm. All that separates the town from the campus is the aptly named College Street. Visitors will find it to be very walkable, with hotels, restaurants and gift shops just across the street from the campus.

Some of the more popular restaurants in Auburn are BurgerFi and Momma Goldberg’s Deli. A visit to Toomer’s Drugs is a mandatory requirement for one of their delicious ice cream cones or their own brand of lemonade. Hotels within walking distance of Jordan-Hare Stadium include the Hotel at Auburn University, and the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites. For your best choice in Tiger spirit goods check out Anders Bookstore or J&M Bookstore on College Street.

Fans 5

Auburn fans rank very highly in the SEC for being loud (in both volume and attire) as Jordan-Hare Stadium becomes a sea of blue and orange on football Saturdays and the cry “War Eagle!” will be ringing in your ears days after the game. Tiger fans have high expectations of their team, as Auburn has two National titles, 8 SEC titles and 3 Southern Conference Championships in its history. Auburn has had 7 undefeated seasons in total.

Auburn fans are proud and loud, but they would probably win the SEC Championship on an annual basis for being the friendliest and politest fans. They are more than happy to suggest a local place to eat, give you directions to a building on campus or engage you and friendly conversation during the game. After a winning game they will not gloat (unless it is the Iron Bowl) and after a loss they will congratulate visitors on a well-played game.

Access 4

Auburn University is easily reached via I-85. It is located 60 miles east of Montgomery and is 100 miles southwest of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. The most direct exit is via exit 51, then head 7 miles north and the campus is on the left.

The biggest headache on game weekends is the traffic and parking. A majority of the lots nearest Jordan-Hare Stadium are reserved for season ticket holders. There are some specialized lots that are set up for RV parking.

Once you have located parking the access in and around Jordan-Hare Stadium is excellent. There are a number of open plazas surrounding the stadium to meet up with friends and the stadium offers plenty of entry points. As always, the less you carry into the stadium, the less time you will have to spend in the security lines.

The concourses are very wide and easy to navigate at all times except halftime, when it can get very congested. Jordan-Hare concession stands are plentiful and well distributed, so you should not encounter a delay in this area.

Return on Investment 4

The return on investment for Auburn home games is excellent, considering the quality of football played in the SEC. Ticket prices vary by opponent. Non-SEC games are $35, while SEC games are $75. The UGA and Alabama games are $130. However the last two games are always sellouts, so tickets would need to be purchased on the secondary market. Parking ranges from $20-$40 based on location. The University provides shuttles to outlying lots before and after the games.

Extras 3

The video board in the south end zone is the largest in college athletics. It comes in at 57 feet tall and 190 feet wall.

The Lovelace Hall of Honor in the Auburn Arena across the street from Jordan –Hare Stadium is a must see. This serves as Auburn’s Hall of Fame and it salutes the top Tigers from all of the university’s sports. Among the memorabilia on display in the Hall are the 2010 National Football Championship Trophy and Bo Jackson’s Heisman.

A visit to Auburn would not be complete without a stop at Toomers Drugs. It is a step back in time where the ice cream and the lemonade are homemade.

Final Thoughts

Like most SEC schools the gameday atmosphere on the Auburn campus is electric. Jordan-Hare Stadium is one of the best places to watch a college football game in the country.