Overview

• Auburn and Baylor confirmed their September 2026 matchup will move from Jordan-Hare Stadium to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to enable NIL opportunities tied to the Aflac Kickoff event.
• Auburn’s allotment is nearly 21,000 tickets while Baylor receives 3,000 reserved for visiting teams, according to the school’s announcement reported by the Associated Press.
• Athletic director John Cohen said the decision prioritizes advancing players’ third‑party NIL earnings and national exposure in a premier neutral‑site setting.
• Peach Bowl COO David Epps described the arrangement as a new neutral‑site model benefiting universities and athletes, while outside reports estimate potential player NIL earnings could reach up to $5 million, a figure not independently verified.
• Auburn hosts No. 9/10 Georgia on Oct. 11 at Jordan-Hare (6:30 p.m. CT on ABC) as coach Hugh Freeze downplays job‑security chatter and focuses on correcting offensive issues after two close road losses.