Toomer’s Corner, the intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue, is the official celebration spot for significant Auburn athletics wins. The intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue is where Auburn’s campus and the City of Auburn meet. It’s also home to the famed Toomer’s Drugs, where the tradition of rolling the corner is said to have begun. The local drug store had the only telegraph in the city, so when employees received news of an Auburn victory at an away game, they would throw the ticker tape onto the power lines of the intersection.
There has yet to be a consensus on when the tradition changed to throwing toilet paper into the trees.
Tragically, the original Auburn Oaks were poisoned in early 2011. The university attempted to save the trees but had to remove them once it was determined they would not survive. Two new trees were transplanted in 2015. The oak on Magnolia Avenue did not survive the move, so it was replaced a few months later. The tradition of rolling the trees was temporarily suspended until the 2016 football season to give the trees time to adjust to their new surroundings.
University officials again suspended the rolling of the Magnolia Avenue tree after a fire severely damaged the tree during the 2016 football season. When it was determined the College Avenue tree also would not survive, officials found two replacements of similar size and appearance. The two new live oaks were planted on February 18, 2017. The rolling tradition returned to the corner in August 2023 when it was determined the new trees could tolerate it.
In August 2023, the Auburn Oaks were ready to roll again.