New football facility moves atop Greene's wish list
Football drives the Auburn athletics economy.
Now athletic director Allen Greene believes it's time for that economy to help drive the program's football facility to the Southeastern Conference's peak. In an interview with AuburnSports.com Tuesday, Greene said the time has come for Auburn to build a state-of-the-art football facility aimed at providing the Tigers a proper home — and a clear-cut recruiting advantage.
One problem: It's expensive. Very expensive. In fact, the most recent estimates hover around $60 million, which means Greene and his staff must rely on outside support to mitigate the financial burden.
"We absolutely have to raise money for it," Greene said. "An (operations) building is beneficial to our entire athletics department — not just football. In order for Auburn football to be successful, we have to continue to invest in facilities. There's no way around it."
The football program currently is housed in the Auburn Athletics Complex, which was completed in 1989. The bottom floor, home to the team's practice locker room, training areas and lounge, has been renovated several times through the years. The most recent updates were completed prior to the 2017 season, but coach Gus Malzahn and his staff keep hearing from recruits about Clemson's new, $55-million facility that includes a bowling alley, an outdoor grilling area and a sand volleyball court.
Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina, Texas A&M, LSU and Tennessee also have spent lavishly on brand-new or wildly reimagined football facilities during the past few years.
The Tigers' difficult season in 2018 has affected fundraising in a negative way, but Greene says the push to regain standing in the facilities arms race shouldn't be tied to the team's record. The need to remain relevant, he said, transcends all that.
"The Auburn Family understands that there’s ebbs and flows to (football). And all of our sports," Greene said. "Auburn is not going anywhere. Auburn is bigger than a coach, an athletic director. Having the viewpoint of the long game is very, very beneficial. We’re very fortunate to have a fan base and a donor base that expects excellence right now — but also understands that we need heavy investments to have excellence."
Greene said the department is hoping to raise enough money in 2019 to break ground on the facility, which likely will be built just west of the indoor practice facility. Gus and Kristi Malzahn kicked off the fundraising effort last year with a $2-million donation.