The Auburn Tigers will head West to take on the California Golden Bears this Saturday night. And for head coach Hugh Freeze, it’s the farthest he’s ever had to travel for a game — something he’s not thrilled about.
“I don’t like it,” Freeze said, via AL.com. “I don’t like scheduling teams on the West Coast. I just as soon play somebody over here on the East Coast but it was done. Me complaining or not embracing it is not the proper response.”
It’s the first regular season game Auburn will play in The Golden State since 2002. Their last trip there came in 2013 for the BCS National Championship Game against Florida State.
Needless to say, this is an uncommon road trip for the Tigers.
Unfortunately for Freeze, he had no say in the matter. This game was agreed upon by then-Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs and then-Cal athletic director Mike Williams back in 2014. The pair had scheduled a home-and-home series that was to begin in 2019, but multiple reschedules and the COVID-19 pandemic repeatedly changed the plans.
Ultimately, the cross-country trip fell into the lap of Freeze.
If there is a silver lining for Freeze and Auburn, it’s that Cal will pay them $450,000 for the trip. They will also provide the Tigers with 5,000 tickets to sell to fans and an additional 350 complimentary tickets.
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