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Auburn, Baylor announce change to location of 2026 non-conference showdown
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- Auburn, Baylor announce change to location of 2026 non-conference showdown
In today's age of college football, the off-field dynamics of the game are almost as important as the on-field aspects, and it appears that the Auburn Tigers are trying to prioritize that a bit going forward.
On Monday afternoon, it was announced t hat Auburn is making a significant change for its non-conference showdown against the Baylor Bears next season, relocating the game from Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The move will make this game the "Aflac Kickoff Game," an annual showcase of high-profile non-conference games in the first week of the season.
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Starting back in 2008, the Aflac Kickoff Game has featured matchups such as Alabama vs. Clemson, Georgia vs. Oregon, Auburn vs. Washington, and Tennessee vs. Syracuse.
The move is being made in order to yield "up to $5 million in NIL opportunities for the Tigers student-athletes," reports On3's Brett McMurphy.
The showdown moving to Atlanta will allow greater NIL opportunities for the Tigers and their student-athletes," On3 writes. "It isn't hard to see why Auburn would make the move, as it'll also allow more eyes on their product when the time comes."
The matchup between Auburn and Baylor in 2026 was supposed to be the second game in a home-and-home series between the two teams. Auburn traveled to Baylor earlier this year in Week 1 of the 2025 season, with the Tigers winning 38-24.
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With the win earlier this year, Auburn evened the series history, which now stands at 2-2-1, all-time.
With the high yearly turnover in college football nowadays, it's challenging to predict where these programs will be a year from now or who will be coaching them. However, we at least know that when the college football season rolls around in late August, both Baylor and Auburn will be at the forefront, with all eyes on Atlanta to see the two square off in the Aflac Kickoff Game.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn, Baylor to move 2026 non-conference game to new location
