Auburn takes extra precautions to protect Toomer’s Corner

The Iron Bowl, played between Auburn and Alabama each year after Thanksgiving, is arguably one of the most intense rivalries in the country.  This is especially true when each of the two teams has a strong football program, which happens pretty regularly.  Last year, Auburn beat Alabama before they went on to become both SEC Champions and National Champions.  All of Alabama’s fans were outraged…and unfortunately for Auburn, Harvey Updyke acted on this rage.

Toomer’s Corner, which is sacred ground to both Auburn students and fans alike, is located on the corner where downtown meets the Auburn campus.  The trees on the corner are rolled with toilet paper after Auburn victories, a tradition that dates back to the 1950s.  After Alabama’s loss to Auburn last fall, Updyke poisoned the trees on Toomer’s Corner with Spike 80DF and instantly became the most hated man in Alabama.

This year, while an Auburn victory is not likely, there will be up to 200 police in Auburn from Thursday until Sunday, with a special tower set up overlooking Toomer’s to ensure that the only vandalism that occurs is toilet papering.

This news affects all of Auburn’s fans and supporters, and should be very comforting to them as it will be unlikely that anyone will attempt to vandalize Toomer’s Corner again this year.  The article described what measures will be taken by the law enforcement of the town this weekend, and hopefully it will put to rest any concerns that fans may have about their hollowed ground.