Oaks at Toomer’s Corner to be rolled for final time after A-Day game

AUBURN — The famous oaks at Toomer’s Corner will be rolled for the final time following A-Day football game on April 20, Auburn announced Friday. The removal date for the oaks has not been set.

“The oaks at Toomer’s Corner have been a part of Auburn tradition for generations,” said Debbie Shaw, Auburn University vice president for alumni affairs and executive director of the Auburn Alumni Association, in a statement. “Their removal will in no way diminish the Auburn Spirit, which has grown even stronger during these past two years.”

According to release from the school’s Office of Communications and Marketing, members of the university’s Tree Preservation Committee say they do not see the possibility of survival for the Oaks. The university’s future landscaping plans for the corner will be also be unveiled on A-Day.

“The architects are combining their expertise and experience with the terrific input from the Auburn Family to come up with a future plan that we will all be proud of,” said Dan King, assistant vice president for Auburn University Facilities Management, in a statement.

To keep the tradition of rolling the corner alive, the university and city will create structures at the College Street-Magnolia Avenue intersection which are suitable for rolling after the oaks are gone, the school said.

“We want people to be upbeat about the future of this area,” Shaw said. “Rolling the corner is a uniquely Auburn tradition, and whether we roll trees or other structures, the camaraderie and sense of togetherness is part of what makes Auburn a special place.”

Harvey Updyke stands accused of poisoning the famous oaks sometime after the 2010 Iron Bowl game.

Updyke, who pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, faces two counts of first-degree criminal mischief, two counts of desecrating a venerated object and two counts of unlawful damage or vandalism to a farm animal or crop facility. His tentative trial date has been set for April 8.