Auburn update

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AUBURN -- The building that houses Auburn's athletics department leadership and all of its football coaches is getting a makeover.

The Board of Trustees' facilities committee approved Thursday the hiring of an architect to refurbish the complex at the corner of Samford and Donahue that serves as the headquarters and public face of Auburn's athletics department.

A firm cost hasn't been finalized, but Auburn hopes to improve the office configuration, lighting and furniture in the building.

"We've been in that building almost 17 years," said Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs. "We wanted to come to the board so that we're being proactive rather than reactive. We want to have a plan for each of our facilities."

The committee also agreed Thursday to fund about $600,000 in cost overruns created by the swimming team's new outdoor pool.

John Mouton, who oversees building projects at Auburn, said the overruns came from expenses unforeseen by the architect.

"We don't build a lot of swimming pools," he said .

Trustee Bobby Lowder was concerned about the extra money, which amounts to about 30 percent of the outdoor pool's total costs. He said that "instead of wasting our time," Auburn should seek out-of-state architects who have specialized experience in pool-building. Agreed, Lowder knows what he is talking about.

The biggest athletics department project on the board is the new basketball arena. Mouton said requests for design teams had been published and the project's timeline was moving on schedule.

On Dec. 4-6, Auburn will meet with potential architects during "work sessions" to familiarize the design teams with the project.

-- The committee was briefed on a $700,000 renovation to the football locker rooms in the athletics complex that will begin after this season.

-- The three-phase renovation to Jordan-Hare Stadium completed this year had about $300,000 in cost overruns, which were covered by the athletics department, the committee was told.

-- LOOKING FOR A MATCH: Auburn is still searching for a high-profile opponent to add to its 2007 home schedule, but Jacobs said it's becoming increasingly difficult to find one.

"It's going to go down to the wire," he said. "We're committed to trying to find a BCS team. We're going to hold out as long as we can until we just can't get one. There's very little hope of doing that, but we're going to keep working, because things can happen in December."

Auburn has a difficult road schedule in 2007, playing SEC games at LSU, Arkansas, Florida and Georgia.

The home schedule is less attractive, with SEC games against Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Alabama.

Auburn has filled two of its four non-conference slots, agreeing to home games with New Mexico State and South Florida.

-- ON THE FIELD: Auburn practiced for about 90 minutes Thursday in warmer weather. The Tigers worked on special teams and scout-team scenarios, finishing with the two-minute drill.

According to the Weather Channel, the temperature is expected to be 68 degrees when Auburn kicks off against Georgia at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.