Allen Greene and the Tigers' athletics leaders have been bracing for a big hit to their budget since the coronavirus pandemic began.

And with less than 40 days until football — AU athletics' biggest cash cow by far — kicks off, Greene and company are beginning to learn more specifics about what the season will look like, and thus more on what kind of financial toll it will take.

In an letter to Auburn students and fans Wednesday, Greene said the combination of Auburn reducing stadium capacity by 80 percent this fall and the Tigers playing two less home games this season is expected to set the athletic department's budget back by "10s of millions of dollars."

In response to Wednesday's announcement of Auburn limiting general stadium entry to only students (at least for Week 1), and the SEC's recent decision to pivot to a 10-game schedule, Greene is asking Auburn season-ticket holders who opt out of attending games this season to consider donating their ticket purchases to the athletic department as a gift.

"It’s a tough time to be asking for donations," AU's fourth-year athletic director admitted. "However, one thing I’ve learned about Auburn people is that their love for our university and its athletic programs is often exceeded only by their generosity. So, I come to you today humbly asking you to consider investing in Auburn by converting your season ticket purchase into a philanthropic gift. Strength in numbers is the ultimate checkmate, giving us a distinct advantage."

Auburn told its season-ticket holders Wednesday they have three options regarding their tickets should they not be allowed to attend any games or choose not to: receive a full refund, credit their purchase toward the 2021 season, or turn their tickets into a donation for the athletic department.

Greene is asking them to strongly consider the latter.

Auburn reported just under $30 million in football ticket sales last season, making up more than 90 percent of all ticket sales from Auburn sports teams in the past fiscal year.

Last month, Greene said football ticket sales and donations directly account for $63 million of Auburn's $150 million athletic-department operating budget.

"As you may know, revenue from football finances all 21 Auburn teams," Greene said in his letter.

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