Auburn announces Toomer's Oaks can finally be rolled this football season

Toomer's Corner is officially available for any and all rolling this fall.

Auburn University announced on Tuesday morning that Toomer's oaks can be rolled starting this football season, first reported by Nathan King of 247Sports.

"The rolling of Toomer’s Corner is one of the nation’s top sports traditions,” university president Christopher Roberts said. “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.”

Toomer's oaks were poisoned back in 2011 by Alabama fan Harvey Updyke, forcing Auburn to remove the trees in 2013, planting new ones two years later in 2015.

Following a dramatic 18-13 win over LSU in 2016, a fan lit one tree on fire, once again making the university remove and replace both trees. Since then, fans have been asked every season not to roll the trees.

“Both trees have made excellent progress since planting took place six years ago and are now considered to have recovered from transplant stress,” said Alex Hedgepath, Auburn University arborist. “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.”

Now, the university has determined the oaks are established enough for the tradition to return.

“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,” said Justin Sutton, director of Facilities Management Landscape Services. “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 announces Toomer's Oaks can finally be rolled this football season

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