What's it like to travel with Auburn football? Senior writer Jeff Shearer is giving fans a look behind the curtain this season as he tags along with the team for road games in his series called "Truckin' with the Tigers."
This weekend marks the final road trip of the 2021 regular season as the Tigers trek to Columbia, South Carolina to battle the Gamecocks on Saturday.FRIDAY: TIGER TICKETSWhen T.J. Finley's parents arrive at Williams-Brice Stadium Saturday to see their son's first start as Auburn's quarterback, Stephen Naughton and Cody Chaney will be waiting for them outside Gate 59.
In their ninth season working together, Naughton and Chaney oversee the distribution of tickets to the families and guests of players, coaches and Auburn Athletics staff.
"I keep the line moving," said Naughton, Auburn's assistant athletic director for ticket sales and operations, who describes himself as "the usher of the group."
Cody Chaney (left) and Stephen Naughton will manage Auburn's player, coach and staff ticket distribution at South Carolina
While Naughton directs the will-call area for guests of coaches and staff, Chaney teams up with Jason Greco, associate AD for compliance, to take care of players' families.
Chaney, Auburn's director of ticket operations, seeks to accommodate families' ticket preferences: aisles, how high up they like to sit and families that wish to sit together, within the inventory allotted to Auburn.
"The more we do it, and the consistency of Naughton and I being on every trip, really helps," Chaney said.
Many players' families have attended all five road games this season: Penn State, LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M and South Carolina.
"You can expect that you're going to see them every single week." Chaney said.
Per NCAA rules, each player on the travel roster can receive up to four tickets per game. Players are permitted to share their unused tickets with teammates who may have more than four guests attending a particular game.
"If we're traveling to a state where one of our players is from, oftentimes you'll have one or two players who might end up with more tickets," Chaney said.
Like a secret service member securing the "nuclear football" launch codes, Naughton closely guards the blue bag that contains Auburn's guest tickets.
"I keep that thing close to me," he said. "I don't let it get away."
With the move to digital ticketing, the paper tickets used by players and coaches' families represent a throwback of sorts to a nearly bygone era. Donors and fans at road games use digital tickets, with Naughton standing by in case Auburn people need assistance.
"The digital world has changed so much of that," Naughton said. "We just work through issues as they arise at the game."
Auburn will be well-represented Saturday night against the Gamecocks. Not as many fans as at Penn State or LSU, but more than at Arkansas.
On the night before road games, Naughton and Chaney typically go out to dinner with the equipment staff, once "the hay is in the barn."
On game day, after each players' family members have received their tickets, Naughton and Chaney usually enter the stadium late in the first half.
"I enjoy getting to see the second half of the game," Naughton said.
"It's interesting to get to the see the different stadiums and the different pageantry around each school and their traditions," said Chaney, who also likes getting to know the players' families. "You start to see them over time and you begin to form a little bit of a friendship."
Like a football coach making in-game adjustments, Auburn's ticket team needs to be nimble to respond to customers' needs.
"Every game is a new challenge," Naughton said. "You have to be thinking on your feet."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
