Football is back on the Plains with the A Day practice today

April 12, 2025 – AUBURN, AL – The Auburn Tigers football team finished a disappointed year in 2024 at 5 and 7 – Auburn's fourth seven loss season in a row. That is all in the past now and Auburn is looking forward to a bright 2025 season. 2025 beings today with the Auburn A-Day practice. The practice is sponsored by Golden Flake and features a full weekend of activities on the Auburn campus.

Admission is free and there will be a post-practice autograph session inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. In previous years Auburn kept score, but this year is a kinder, gentler Auburn so no scores will be kept, nobody leaves as the loser, and instead the A-Day will be more like a regular football practice.

Coach Hugh Freeze returns for his third season as head coach. Freeze was optimistic about this year's team.

"I love our kids right now," said Coach Freeze. "I love our approach. I love our staff. I think there is confidence in the building and it's growing."

"I'm really encouraged and optimistic by the confidence I see growing and obviously the deeper depth chart that we have," said Freeze. "I wish there was some secret thing I could just flip and tell you that, but I really think the culture is just growing each year to being better."

Fans were really critical of the quarterback play over the past several seasons. Payton Thorne graduated after two seasons as the Tigers starter. Hank Brown, Walker White, and Holden Geriner all left through the transfer portal.

Freeze is hopeful that Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold improves the level of play at that position.

"He has a calm demeanor and confidence," Freeze said of Arnold. "He understands ball and has a high football IQ."

Auburn also signed five star commitment Deuce Knight.

"Deuce's maturity is way farther along than what I even knew, and he is hungry to learn and is always asking questions, always wanting to talk about how I improve this and that," said Freeze. "He is an extremely hard worker that you have to run off the field from trying to throw too much. I'm really pleased by those guys right now."

Freeze, in addition to having to deal with the intricacies of coaching and navigating the world of NIL and the transfer portal, is having to fight prostate cancer.

"In consultation with the doctors that we're dealing with, they think that if mentally I can handle waking up at night knowing you have something in you that you don't want in you, they don't feel like I have to be in a hurry to do something," Freeze told reporters when asked about his cancer.

Freeze is 11 and 14 and just 5 and 11 in his tenure at Auburn.

Jordan-Hare Stadium gates will open on A-Day at 11 a.m. CDT. An alumni flag football game starts at 11:00 am. Tiger Walk will take place at 11:30 a.m. That A-Day game/practice will start at 12 p.m. with practice concluding at 1 p.m.

Freeze and Auburn players will hold a post-practice Fan Day autograph session afterward and will last 90 minutes.

Saturday, April 12

Tiger Trail Induction Ceremony, 9 a.m. CT, Athletics Complex Rane Room

Auburn Vault Pop-Up Shop, 9 a.m. CT, at Plainsman Park Home Plate Parking Lot

Tiger Walk, 11:30 a.m. CT, starting at Plainsman Park rightfield entrance

A-Day Spring Football Practice, Presented by Golden Flake, 12 p.m. CT at Jordan-Hare Stadium

Fan Day, 1:30 p.m. CT at Jordan-Hare Stadium

Softball vs. Georgia, 3:30 p.m. CT at Jane B. Moore Field

Baseball vs. LSU, 6 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park

Sunday, April 13

Women's Tennis vs. LSU, 12 p.m. CT at Yarbrough Tennis Center

Softball vs. Georgia, 1 p.m. CT at Jane B. Moore Field

Baseball vs. LSU, 2 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park