Why does Auburn have 2 mascots, War Eagle and Tiger?

Auburn's football team is known by two names, the Auburn Tigers and the Auburn War Eagles.

But if you’ve ever attended a live game of the Auburn Tigers at the Jordan-Hare stadium, you must have probably heard cries of “War Eagle, Hey!” around the stadium, making you wonder why the team has two mascots.

This article will explore the truth and the stories behind the two important icons of Auburn football.

Does Auburn have 2 mascots?

Auburn does not have two mascots. It has been erroneously thought for a very long time that the school’s athletic programs have two mascots, a tiger and a war eagle. This is however not the case. Auburn has just one mascot, Aubie the Tiger. War Eagle’s relationship with the school has another story behind it.

War Eagle is the school’s athletic battle cry and is symbolized by Aurea, a live golden eagle who is otherwise called "War Eagle VIII." Aurea is not the only eagle that flies to the “War Eagle” chant at the Tigers’ home games. Another eagle you’ll see at the Jordan-Hare stadium is Independence, a bald eagle also called "Indy" for short.

The school’s official mascot, Aubie the Tiger, first appeared at a game in 1959 when the Tigers faced Hardin-Simmons. It was a cartoon character at the time. Its first appearance as a live mascot was at the SEC basketball tournament in 1979.

Many stories exist on how the “War Eagle” cry came to be. One of the most widespread stories dates back to 1892 when the Tigers emerged victorious over Georgia. Among the crowd of spectators at the game, there was allegedly a Civil War veteran who was with his eagle. The eagle broke loose at point and circled the stadium. Just then, the Tigers snatched the win.

However, the eagle did not survive the moment. It plunged into the ground suddenly and met its end. Its legacy remains, nevertheless. And it continues to live through legends like this. The circling of the eagles around the stadium during the Tigers’ games is a reenactment of its victorious flight that day.

Auburn’s Tiger mascot has a more verifiable identity. It comes from Oliver Goldsmith’s 1770 poem titled "The Deserted Village." A line from the poem reads, “Where crouching tigers await their hapless prey.” The line has been adopted as a manner of description of the way the Tigers take on their opponents at the Jordan-Hare.