Auburn Stands Alone in this Interesting Stat

The Auburn Tigers have been in a bit of a down cycle for most of the university’s athletic programs in recent years, except for last year’s basketball team, which made it all the way to the Final Four. In times like these, it is always interesting to look back on prior years, including a period when the Tigers were dominant in three major sports.

In fact, the Tigers stand alone as the only program to produce an NFL, MLB and NBA Most Valuable Player since 1990, which stands as a testament to what Auburn has been and can be. Charles Barkley, Cam Newton and Josh Donaldson are three of Auburn’s finest, and rightfully so, they have each netted an MVP since 1990.

MVP Winners | (Since 1990) | 🏈🏀⚾️ pic.twitter.com/FaLSyYISbu
— College Baseball Reference (@CBsBReference) April 11, 2026

The basketball program represents the least recent time in which a Tiger has netted an MVP in a major professional sport, as Charles Barkley netted the program’s most recent MVP in 1992. In that 1992-93 season, the “Round Mound of Rebound” managed to average over 25 points per game, tacking on an average of 12.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists for good measure.

Barkley beat out legendary basketball names like Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal that year for the MVP, illustrating just how dominant this former Tiger was in his prime.

On the diamond, Donaldson’s 2015 AL MVP stands as the most recent instance of a Tiger winning the award. In his 2015 season, his first with the Blue Jays, Donaldson batted .297 with a .371 OBP, bringing around a career-high 123 runs.

As a result, Donaldson beat out Mike Trout, Lorenzo Cain and Manny Machado for that year’s MVP, though his production tapered off in the years since. Still, Donaldson was placed on Auburn’s Wall of Fame just a few weeks ago, illustrating how impactful he was not only to baseball but the Plains as a whole.

Charles Barkley starred at Auburn before winning an NBA MVP in 1993. | Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

Finally – the name that just about every Auburn fan knows – Newton is arguably the best quarterback Auburn has ever produced, as he led the program to an undefeated season and a national championship win in 2010.

In the pros, though, Newton netted an MVP in 2015, the same year as Donaldson. In that year, he took the Carolina Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance against the Broncos, though the squad was ultimately unable to finish the job.

Still, in that 2015 campaign, Newton accumulated over 3,800 passing yards and 35 passing touchdowns, tacking on 636 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns to solidify himself as the dual-threat he was at Auburn. Newton’s MVP vote was nearly unanimous, though he still had to beat out Tom Brady and Carson Palmer for that year’s award.

Newton had his number retired this past year in a ceremony that took place during the Tigers’ rivalry matchup with Georgia.

Of course, it has been over 10 years since a Tiger netted an MVP in a major professional sport, but the Tigers’ athletics have also largely tapered off in that time, though the Tigers made a nice push in the 2013 and 2017 football seasons, as well as the 2019 and 2024 basketball seasons.

The next Tiger MVP is largely uncertain, though there is always a chance someone from the Plains steps up in a big way just about every year. For now, Tiger fans will have to watch and wait in anticipation for who will be the next name on the list.

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