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auburnwire.usatoday.com Broadcast windows revealed for Auburn football's 2024 slate Taylor Jones 3–4 minutes Auburn football fans can now plan tailgates, watch parties, and weekend trips to the Plains and beyond. After previously announcing the start times and networks for Auburn’s first three games of the 2024 season, the SEC revealed the broadcast windows for Auburn’s nine remaining games. The SEC broke down the windows by four time slots: early, afternoon, night, or flex. Games listed as “early” will kick off at either 11 a.m. CT or noon CT while the afternoon slot will occupy the frame between 2:30 p.m CT and 3:30 p.m. CT. The “night” window will begin between 5 p.m. CT and 7 p.m. CT, and the “flex” option will begin between 2:30 p.m. CT and 7 p.m. CT. SEC football games will be broadcasted on its usual networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, or SEC Network. However, this season will feature a slight change. The SEC ended its over two decade relationship with CBS at the conclusion of the 2023 season in favor of signing a new deal with ABC. Games scheduled for the usual 2:30 p.m. CT slot will now air on ABC. Here’s a look at Auburn’s 2024 football schedule with updated broadcast windows and network information. Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports Date: Saturday, Aug. 31 Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn) Time: 6:30 p.m. CT Network: SEC Network+ Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers Date: Saturday, Sept. 7 Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn) Time: 2:30 p.m. CT Network: ESPN 2 Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser Date: Saturday, Sept. 14 Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn) Time: 6:30 p.m. CT Network: ESPN 2 or ESPNU John Reed-USA TODAY Sports Date: Saturday, Sept. 21 Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn) Window: FLEX (2:30 p.m. CT to 7 p.m. CT) Network: TBA Sean Gardner/Getty Images Date: Saturday, Sept. 28 Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn) Window: AFTERNOON (2 p.m. CT to 3 p.m. CT) Network: TBA Grayson Belanger/AU Athletics Date: Saturday, Oct. 5 Location: Sanford Stadium (Athens) Window: FLEX (2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. CT) Network: TBA Michael Chang/Getty Images) Date: Saturday, Oct. 19 Location: Faurot Field (Columbia) Window: EARLY (11 a.m. CT to noon CT) Network: TBA John Reed-USA TODAY Sports Date: Saturday, Oct. 26 Location: Kroger Field (Lexington) Window: NIGHT (5 p.m. CT to 7 p.m. CT) Network: TBA Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports Date: Saturday, Nov. 2 Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn) Window: EARLY (11 a.m. CT to noon CT) Network: TBA John Reed-USA TODAY Sports Date: Saturday, Nov. 16 Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn) Time: 11:45 a.m. CT Network: SEC Network Michael Chang/Getty Images Date: Saturday, Nov. 23 Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn) Window: FLEX (2:30 p.m. CT to 7 p.m. CT) Network: TBA Austin Perryman/AU Athletics Date: Saturday, Nov. 30 Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa) Time: FLEX (2:30 p.m. CT to 7 p.m. CT) Network: TBA

auburnwire.usatoday.com Former Tiger hurler Zach Crotchfelt commits to Texas Tech Brian Hauch ~2 minutes Former Auburn Tigers left-handed pitcher Zach Crotchfelt has committed to Texas Tech following his decision to enter the transfer portal in May. The junior from Jackson, NJ announced the move on X, formerly known as Twitter late Tuesday evening. The southpaw never quite put it all together during two turbulent years on the Plains, but the former No. 9 ranked left-handed pitching prospect in the country still has plenty of time to live up to his high school hype for the Red Raiders. After starting 6 games as a freshman, Crotchfelt was sentenced to bullpen duty for his final year and a half at Auburn. Texas Tech head coach Tim Tadlock could opt to return Crotchfelt to starting pitching duties next season with the change of scenery and fresh start. The New Jersey native finished his Auburn career with a 5.69 ERA over 49 innings of work. Crotchfelt did strike out 55 batters in those 49 innings, but conversely allowed 31 free passes which doomed most of his appearances as a Tiger. If Tadlock and the Texas Tech coaching staff can hone in on the walk issues, they may have found a diamond in the rough in the former Tiger. As for Auburn, head coach Butch Thompson will certainly be looking towards the transfer portal and recruiting trail for a left-hander to replace Crotchfelt in the Auburn arm barn. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

al.com Auburn baseball lands first transfer pitcher, 2 former freshman All-Americans Published: Jun. 12, 2024, 6:35 a.m. 4–6 minutes Hoover's Lucas Steele celebrates his home run during the second game of the Auburn vs Hoover 7A high school baseball state championship series, Thursday, May 20, 2021, at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Ala. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt The pitch this offseason is simple: Auburn needs pitching. After a league-worst 7.57 ERA in SEC games this season, head coach Butch Thompson closed the year saying the answer to the struggles may not be on the roster he had, and would use Auburn’s failure to make the postseason as a head start on recruiting. On Monday, the final day of sitting at home to watch Super Regionals, Auburn brought in its first new pitcher. Ryan Hetzler, who just finished his freshman year at Cal Baptist, announced Monday he’d picked Auburn. Hetzler on the surface doesn’t appear to solve Auburn’s problematic starting pitching, but his stats as a freshman are a significant upgrade from most pitchers on Auburn’s 2024 roster regardless of role. Hetzler made 25 appearances in 2024 all out of the bullpen and pitched a total of 41.1 innings. He had a 5-1 record with a 2.59 ERA. He had four saves. Opponents hit .284 against him. On May 24, Hetzler pitched six innings in relief and threw 95 pitches after the starting pitcher in that game gave up five runs in 0.2 innings. That long relief appearance, however, was by far Hetzler’s longest appearance of the season. His next longest was three innings. It’s too early to say the role Auburn plans to use Hetzler in. Assuming he is kept in the bullpen, he is an immediate upgrade. Rising senior John Armstrong and Hayden Murphy were Auburn’s best two relief pitchers in 2024 but both had ERAs greater than four. Auburn still is looking for starting pitching help and it’s unlikely Hetzler will be the only transfer portal pitcher Auburn adds. Its incoming freshman class this fall is built on pitching, but its two highest-ranked arms — Connor Gatwood and Christian Chatterton — could receive MLB Draft consideration this summer. Auburn also added two former freshman All-American hitters who had regressing stats as sophomores in 2024. Lucas Steele, a catcher, will transfer to Auburn from Samford. Steele played high school ball at Hoover. In 2023, Steele was the SoCon freshman of the year and a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American. He hit .315 at a freshman with 16 home runs and 51 RBIs. He started 57 games and played in 61. As a sophomore, Steele’s batting average dropped significantly to .245. But he still had 13 home runs and boosted his RBI total to 61. His slugging and on base percentage both dropped, too. Auburn won’t be expecting Steele to start as much as he did at Samford where he had 111 starts in two seasons. Steele plays catcher and first base. Auburn has catching options already in its star, Ike Irish, and rising sophomore Cale Stricklin who had some good flashes at the end of the 2024 season. First base could be a faster track to the field for Steele especially as Auburn has not gotten a public decision from first basemen Cooper McMurray on his status for next season. Auburn also finds a similar situation with USF transfer Eric Snow. In 2023, Snow was the AAC defensive player of the year and a unanimous first team All-AAC selection. He too was a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American. In 2023, Snow hit .327. In 2024, he hit .248. In 2023 he hit six home runs with 36 RBIs. IN 2024 he had one home run and 10 RBIs. He made five more errors in 2024 than 2023. Snow played shortstop at USF, where Auburn doesn’t have an immediate starter with previous shortstop Cooper Weiss now out of eligibility. Deric Fabian, who played primarily third base, could play shortstop, too. Snow and Steele are both players who performed extremely well as freshmen and Auburn hopes to get them back to that and not the statistical downturns they had in 2024. Both fill, at a minimum, depth spots that should see the lineup in 2025. Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

al.com Auburn to face Duke at Cameron Indoor in SEC-ACC challenge Updated: Jun. 12, 2024, 1:16 p.m.|Published: Jun. 12, 2024, 1:10 p.m. 2–3 minutes Auburn players, Bruce Pearl cut down nets after winning SEC Tournament After an SEC Tournament title-winning season, Auburn will get a trip to one of college basketball’s most storied arenas this winter. Auburn will face Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the 2024-25 season, the second year of the SEC-ACC challenge, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. The game is set for Wednesday, Dec. 4. Auburn and Duke have played four previous times, and Duke won every matchup including two at Cameron Indoor. Auburn’s last time in Durham, North Carolina was in 1981. Auburn faced Virginia Tech last season at Neville Arena. The Tigers won the Nov. 29 game 74-57. Center Johni Broome scored 30 points. That was the first year of the SEC-ACC challenge which took the place of previous SEC-Big 12 matchups. Auburn’s 2024-25 basketball schedule continues to take shape. In May, Auburn found out its SEC opponents and locations for the upcoming season, but dates of games will be announced closer to the season. Home & Away: Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia Home: Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma, Mississippi State Away: Kentucky, LSU, Vanderbilt, Texas, Texas A&M, South Carolina The new SEC schedule including Texas and Oklahoma means a basketball schedule with fewer home and away matchups than prior years. Auburn will have two permanent home and away opponents and one rotating. For Auburn, Alabama and Georgia will be the permanent opponents and Ole Miss is this year’s rotating team. Auburn still has several non-conference game slots to fill and those will continue to settle over the course of the summer. Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

247sports.com Auburn to play at Duke in next seasons ACCSEC Challenge Nathan King 7–9 minutes It was a time that we knew was coming with the changes in the College Football Playoff, but on Wednesday the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA), in coordination with the cities of Tuscaloosa, Auburn and Opelika, have agreed to remove The University of Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium and Auburn University's Jordan-Hare Stadium from the Super 7 High School Football Championships host site rotation." The action became necessary due to the new expanded College Football Playoff plan that could require both schools to host playoff games in the future which would conflict with the AHSAA's annual Super 7 football championships. "We are grateful to the cities of Tuscaloosa, Auburn and Opelika, Auburn University, the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports and Auburn-Opelika Tourism for joining together to host our Super 7 since the rotation began in 2009," said AHSAA Executive Director Alvin Briggs. "The experiences and memories provided for our member schools, the teams, their students, and communities have been immeasurable. We understand, however, the conflicts that will be unavoidable in the future based on the expanded CFA playoff structure and format." Birmingham and Protective Stadium, which hosts the Super 7 Championships next December, will remain in the AHSAA Super 7 host rotation, and the AHSAA is continuing to study other rotation options as well, said Briggs. All parties regret the necessity for this rotation coming to an end. Auburn Mayor Ron Anders, Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said their communities have enjoyed hosting the Super 7 Championships and understand the positive impact the games have had on their cities as well as the lasting experiences and memories that have been afforded the state's high school student-athletes, their schools, and communities at the same time. "Hosting the Super 7 has been a tremendous honor for the City of Auburn," Anders said, "The Super 7 serves as a pinnacle moment in the lives of many young students in Alabama. Our city has treated this hosting responsibility with the same level of professionalism that regular visitors to any local athletic event, conference, performance, or family gathering have come to expect. Our community has similarly served the teams, families, and other Super 7 visitors with a personal investment of time and effort that characterizes the Auburn Spirit." Maddox said his city embraced hosting the Super 7 Championships. "The City of Tuscaloosa has proudly hosted many Alabama High School Athletic Association Super 7 State Football Championships since 2009, providing countless athletes, coaches, family members, and fans with an unforgettable football experience," Maddox said. "Although Tuscaloosa and Auburn will no longer be able to host due to the expansion of the College Football Playoffs, we are grateful for our partnership with AHSAA and look forward to seeing the event thrive across other cities in Alabama." Fuller said his city was glad to be a part of providing such life-long memories for the student-athletes, their schools, and communities. "The city of Opelika is honored to have been a part of the Super 7 for many years," Fuller said. "The experiences had by the athletes, band members, students, cheerleaders, and fans are priceless. To be under the big lights in a grand stadium is something we all will remember for a lifetime. We are hopeful to one day be back at Jordan-Hare Stadium (for the Super 7)." "Since 2009, the teams at Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports and Auburn-Opelika Tourism have spared no expense and no amount of manpower ensuring that this event was a memorable one for all participants and spectators," said Kelsey Rush, president, and CEO of Tuscaloosa Tourism. "Helping manage the event from start to finish with the help of those partners already mentioned has been an honor and a privilege." Anders, Maddox and Fuller agree that hosting the Super 7 event has been the result of many moving parts – with several groups working hand in hand. "I want to thank Auburn University for allowing this event to integrate with the campus environment during traditional class days," Anders said. "Thank you to Auburn University's Athletic Department for their unwavering support of our partnership and complete commitment to providing a "Game Day Experience" for every Super 7 contest. A special word of thanks to Jeremy Roberts and his team at Auburn Athletics — they made each championship game feel like a SEC Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. In addition, thank you to Eric Kleypas and his staff for providing a first-class playing surface for the Super 7. "Tiger Transit provided crucial assistance as we brought thousands of visitors to campus while Auburn University students attended their final week of classes. And in "a tradition that is uniquely Auburn," a huge debt of gratitude to the Auburn University Raptor Center for allowing the eagle flight before every championship game." Anders also praised the local law enforcement. "No activity of this scale can be successful without the protection of local law enforcement." Anders said, "The Auburn Police Department was on site from the arrival of the first team and did not depart Jordan-Hare until the scoreboard was turned off. Outside of the stadium, APD directed traffic and provided police escorts to each team as they made their way to campus and into Jordan-Hare Stadium. Thanks to the men and women who protect us every day in our community. You are the best!" Each of the host communities relied on volunteers to provide the best experience possible for all schools participating. "We owe a special "thank you" to our volunteers that furnished an enthusiastic effort to the Super 7," Anders added. "They served as team hosts and cheerleader and band liaisons. They led Super 7 Tiger Walks, unloaded team equipment, and supplied meals to those who were working the event. They were the Public Address team, Press Box staff and sideline and locker room detail. Whatever the task at hand, these selfless volunteers were ready to serve." The cities' leaders agreed that participating in the Super 7 Championships taught them much about the AHSAA's education-based athletic experience. "The Super 7 exposes our state to the best of Alabama," Anders said. "Talented youth, dedicated coaches, outstanding administrators, devoted families, and faithful communities … It's been a great responsibility to host this celebration of all that is great about the State of Alabama. We wish all the best to the future of the Super 7." Briggs said the AHSAA is indebted to its Super 7 partners. "Having two of the nation's biggest rivals come together with their cities to provide the opportunity of a lifetime for our member schools is priceless and we can't thank them enough. "What we have been able to do with our championships thanks to the cooperation of such rivals has been envied in other states and set a wonderful example for all of us."

si.com What Auburn Tigers can Expect in Year 2 of Hugh Freeze Terrance Biggs ~2 minutes When the Auburn Tigers welcome Alabama A&M to Jordan Hare on August 31, the hopeful eyes and cynical gut of the Tigers fanbase will train on what Hugh Freeze ushers onto the field. Finishing 6-7, after the waking nightmare of the Harsin Era doesn't feel like progress, especially after the New Mexico State embarrassment. However, when given time, Hugh Freeze displayed the consistent aptitude of firming up his program in the second year. Now, that may not include an SEC Championship and College Football Playoff run. With that said, what to expect of Freeze's offense in his second campaign on the Plains? Home Cookin' Tastes Great For Freeze, the 2024 schedule kicks off with five-consecutive home games. More importantly, four of those five appear completely winnable with Oklahoma objectively seeing Auburn as an underdog. Under those circumstances, the Tigers could leave town, headed to Athens 4-1. Not to mention, winning early and often builds confidence, emboldening both sides of the ball. Walking into Georgia with the feeling of playing loose with house money goes a long way to crafting a great season. Starting the season facing Alabama A&M, New Mexico, California, Arkansas, and Oklahoma sets up perfectly for this team. If Auburn struggles, going 3-2 in this stretch, those three wins, barring a mammoth late-season collapse insures the Tigers bowl eligibility. The Cam Show History Repeats Itself

it is hard to shoot straight when you are carrying a two dolla pistol. grins

deflection alert!!!!!!!!!! what about ALL the lies trumps craps out every single day? that is ok right?

this was MORE creative grasshoppa! i give you an 8 out of 10. vlad.................ARE you saying in an off handed way he sucks? uh oh...........grins

would it not be nice we we accepted ALL folks regardless of what their color is or whom they chose to love? people claim america is about freedom but they keep chipping away and after working on six decades of life i just grow weary of it. and you cannot say you love them if you take away their rights.

i did not read it sir. i just raise hell about what interests me.

think............I would tell my self the same thing if i was in your shoes. and yes i let my mouth get away with me as well.calling a man a coward on the net is just sad.

thank you AND i do like you for the record.we gonna duke it out some. you know i enjoy the fuss and such. we just disagree but i could break bread with you. maybe only once tho........get i it? you might be crazier than i am bro.grins

you need to back off of tex jr. lets all agree you would not mouth that crap to him face to face. quit grandstanding.do better!

no sir you know the drill.links or it is bull**** and rumors..............

is that corn dog ever gonna run out of gas big shooter?

dude! snap out of it! i am the only drama queen allowed on here. You want me to raise YOUR children for you? he is not dissin kids for gods sake.

i agree.he is NOT blonde haired and blue eyed so that is a huge problem for folks who only love white jesus. but just think about that a second.aman comes to save us and we kill him right?sad

i am in love with you at the moment sir!

why not ask him? and you want to go that route? trump ignores half his family............

dude you opened the can of worms.i have butt hair so long i can braid it so i will save you a sample since you seem so interested. it is ok if you are a perv............

swampy i thought we agreed to team up if we try to get something started? i am not too old to bring the fire. but i have to pass on hank as he loaned me the price of a good cheeseburger. and we know they taste wonderful with a gummy..............grins. i miss you sexy.

no sir i am not quoting an insult after my sister was molested. you can call me an a**hole. you can call me a jerk. you can call me about anything but that was a deadly insult. i had to learn to live with her being molest while in grade school. if you cannot man up and apologize just leave me the hell alone. you have idea the hurt that caused but hey as long as YOU are not getting hurt it is ok right?

less than a week ago. why would i make that up?

And while we’re here, let’s share some more details on Hunter’s spending: A large diamond! Meanwhile, in his own filings, Hunter implied that Kathleen herself had engaged in extramarital affairs, and requested that she supply any and all correspondence “between you and any person that you had a romantic or sexual relationship with other than your husband during the marriage.” Yikes! In the midst of all of this, and a few months after he and Kathleen had officially separated—but before their divorce was finalized in April 2017—Hunter had begun dating Hallie Biden, the wife and widow of his brother Beau, who died of brain cancer in May of 2015. They confirmed the relationship in May 2017, and their relationship had the blessing of Joe and Jill Biden. “We are all lucky that Hunter and Hallie found each other as they were putting their lives together again after such sadness. They have mine and Jill’s full and complete support and we are happy for them,” Joe told Page Six. But at the end of April of this year, we learned that their relationship, too, had ended. It’s unclear why they broke up, but perhaps it had something to do with some of the news that has emerged in the past month—and I’m not even referring to Hunter’s whirlwind wedding to Melissa Cohen, a Los Angeles-based woman originally from South Africa, in mid-May. (Little is known about Melissa—she owns a business called Tribal Worlds that works to “promote indigenous conservation,” according to the Washington Post—but girl, did you not Google your now-husband during any of the 10 days from when you met to when you got hitched?) And there’s more! Not even two weeks after Hunter’s wedding, Lunden Alexis Roberts, a 28-year-old woman living in Arkansas, filed a paternity and child support lawsuit against Hunter stating in the suit that she and Hunter had been “in a relationship” and that she gave birth to their child in August 2018—a time period when Hunter had been dating his brother’s widow. According to Page Six, the two reportedly met while Roberts was a student at George Washington University. Roberts “does not want this to be a media spectacle” and “does not want this to affect Joe Biden’s campaign,” Roberts’s attorney Clint Lancaster told the Democrat Gazette. “She just wants this baby to get financial support from the baby’s father.” Good luck with that! Hunter, for his part, has yet to respond to the suit or make any public comment. Nor has his father Joe publicly acknowledged that his son is a supreme ****-up that may play no small role in derailing his campaign for president—honestly, this probably won’t derail his campaign because we’re not that lucky—but it was certainly notable that when Joe kicked off his campaign in Philadelphia, his wife, daughter, and grandkids were on stage, but Hunter was not. The longest public statement Hunter has made recently was to Vanity Fair in January of this year, after the publication asked him if he was concerned that his personal life would impact his dad’s presidential run. In it, Hunter addressed his “complicated” divorce and his “equally complicated life”—referring to the tragic death of his mother and sister in a car crash in 1972, and which he and his brother survived—as well as the challenges of living in the public spotlight. His dad, he wrote, taught him to “never run from a struggle” and to “love people and find a way to love yourself.” “My father has always been proud of me,” Hunter wrote. “And he remains proud of me today.” What an incredible family. yawns addiction is terrible and he needs or needed help. the last time i checked on you indies you guys were running an honest to god clown. i do not believe it to be fake news. you need to crack open that trump bible.