After Six-Year Wait, Auburn Finally Welcomes Rolling Back To Toomer’s Corner

A beloved tradition is set to return to Auburn University following a six-year pause. 

School officials announced that the famed Auburn Oaks at Toomer’s Corner are once again “ready to roll” in time for the upcoming football season.

Six years after Auburn University asked Tiger fans to hold off covering the large oaks in toilet paper, it has been determined that the two new oaks planted in 2017 are finally established enough for the tradition to return.

"The rolling of Toomer’s Corner is one of the nation’s top sports traditions,” Auburn President Christopher B. Roberts said in a news release. “Our fans have come together for decades on the corner of Magnolia and College to celebrate our big wins. In recent years, we continued our cherished tradition by rolling different trees, but I am very excited that the Auburn Family will once again be able to roll our most prominent trees.”

The original Auburn Oaks planted between 1937 and 1939 were removed from Toomer’s Corner in April 2013 after being poisoned in 2010. The duo of new live oaks that replaced them were also damaged, and had to be removed in 2016. The two current Auburn Oaks were planted in February 2017, at which point rolling was temporarily banned.

“Both trees have made excellent progress since planting took place six years ago and are now considered to have recovered from transplant stress,” Alex Hedgepath, Auburn University arborist, said in a statement. “Because of the Auburn Family’s commitment, the trees are now established and can withstand rolling and cleanup efforts after Auburn athletic victories. With continued care, we expect the trees to grow vigorously and become further established.”

The care includes a weekly health check and a bi-annual checkup where soil samples are taken to ensure needed nutrients are available. The root system expansion is also measured to monitor growth and other assessments are made to determine the trees’ overall health.

“We knew from the beginning it was a huge request to ask our fans to not roll the two new Auburn Oaks at Toomer’s Corner,” Justin Sutton, director of Facilities Management Landscape Services, said in a release. “We knew this short-term request would reap long-term benefits in upholding one of the best collegiate athletic traditions of rolling Toomer’s Corner. The long-term establishment, overall health, and projected long life of these trees was our goal from the beginning. With the help of the Auburn Family, we feel as if we’ve reached this milestone.”

Auburn football's season opener is set for September 2 against UMass in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Happy rolling!