Hope for Auburn? Toxic trustee Bobby Lowder steps aside
On the left, Bobby Lowder. On the right, former Alabama governor Don Siegelman. (AP photo)
Yet another big story breaks over the Loveliest Village of the Plains, and this one has the feel of a new dawn rising. The toxic Bobby Lowder has decided not to seek another term on Auburn’s board of trustees. The first two words of an editorial in the Opelika-Auburn News were these:
“Good riddance.”
It was hard to know exactly how much power Lowder wielded over Auburn athletics because his modus operandi was to be seen but never heard. I once asked another SEC athletic director if some booster could be classified as his school’s Bobby Lowder, and the AD thought for several moments. Then he said: “I’m not sure anyone else has a Bobby Lowder.”
Conventional wisdom holds that Lowder, an Auburn grad who came to power as head of the Montgomery-based Colonial BancGroup (seized by the Feds in 2009), essentially fired Terry Bowden as football coach in the middle of the 1998 season and almost fired Tommy Tuberville five years later. It was a plane owned by Lowder’s bank that made the infamous flight to Sellersburg, Ind., carrying Auburn officials to interview then-Louisville coach Bobby Petrino — for a job that was technically not open.
Auburn president William Walker and athletic director David Housel, both of whom were aboard the plane, wound up resigning. Lowder, however, was immovable. He’d become a trustee in 1983, but his influence was mighty long before that. He was considered Auburn’s biggest donor and its de facto CEO. (Here’s an ESPN story on Lowder from 2006, written by esteemed former colleague Mike Fish.)
In January the New York Times quoted former AD Mike Lude on Lowder thusly: “I would describe him as a person who is very quiet, very much behind the scenes, yet very much involved. My wife one time said, ‘You know, Mike, Bobby Lowder really acts like the Auburn Tigers are his professional football franchise.’ ”
Lowder wouldn’t talk to the Times for that story. Lowder never talked to anybody. When the Auburn Plainsman, the student newspaper, was critical of Lowder, it wound up being subjected to what Jennifer Foster of the Opelika-Auburn News calls a “retaliatory restructure.” In 2004, Auburn nearly lost its accreditation as a university — this time its probation was levied not by the NCAA but by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools — due to meddling by its trustees.
Even the most rabid Auburn fans could never endorse Lowder. Why would one man want so much power? Why were so many afraid of him? Indeed, Lowder’s latest appointment to the board of trustees prompted a lawsuit and led Foster to wonder in print if Gov. Robert Bentley’s decision to reappoint Lowder had anything to do with a campaign contribution of $25,000 made by Lowder’s wife.
But now the man behind the curtain is gone, or at least going. (Lowder’s term expires next year.) He’ll leave having finally seen his Tigers win a national championship, but it was a championship accompanied by more skepticism than any in history. Much of that had to do with Cam Newton’s father, yes, but much could be traced to the knowledge that Auburn was, and had long been, Bobby Lowder’s team.
By Mark Bradley
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146 comments Add your comment
RAMBLE ON!!!
May 18th, 2011
2:10 pm
Funny, UGAg calling Awbarn cheaters.
Hello pot, meet kettle.
polskidawg
May 18th, 2011
2:12 pm
I worked with Colonial for 6 years, and during that time I met Mr. Lowder about 2-3 times a year. We never discussed football, nor Auburn University, but he was always very pleasant and a man of few words.
However, in response to Mark question, “Why would one man want so much power? Why were so many afraid of him?” I can suggest this: The man was 110 lbs soaking wet and about 5′6″ tall.
Are you familiar with the Napoleonic Complex?
404
May 18th, 2011
2:12 pm
Clealry theres a lot of folks that dont realize how serious it is at Auburn.
When the Auburn Board of Trustees tells its #1 Multi-Multi-Millionaire Contributor
of many years to take a hike, it can only mean bad things are coming.
It means the Board has realized that the trouble they are now facing
is significantly worse than the value of all the money he can contribute.
Lowder didnt quit. He was TOLD to quit.
Auburn is DESPARATE to separate themselves from Lowder before
the NCAA comes to town to try minimize the damage.
Dont kid yourselves, Auburn is in DEEP DEEP trouble.
This has already been written about:
The Chief Financial Officer from Cecil Newton’s Newnan, GA church, Bobbie Blandburg, has already been quoted in the New York Times, that she has no freakin idea where $60,000+ in cash came from
to pay for the repairs to the church.
It appears only one person knows: Cecil Newton.
And the contractors that did the work were paid IN CASH for the repairs.
As written before, Money always leaves a trail.
And that trail will eventually lead back to Auburn and/or its boosters.
Perhaps back to one particular booster.
I still believe that the NCAA will use its investigation of Auburn to pull back
the curtain of systemic corruption on the entire SEC.
Theres no way the NCAA is going to continue to allow grey-shirting,
over-signing and many other nefarious methods of cheating used by the SEC.
Go ahead and put it on the calendar: the NCAA will arrive in Auburn by September 1, 2011.
Auburn’s and the SEC’s troubles are just beginning.
WDE
May 18th, 2011
2:13 pm
RAMBLE ON!!! really Bug we don’t have to cheat to beat the Bugs…showing up works just fine.
Auburn University Administrators
May 18th, 2011
2:21 pm
NCAA Investigation? We don’t care about no stinking NCAA audit! If they mess with us, we’ll just join the NFL.
2010 Fulmer Cup Champs
May 18th, 2011
2:24 pm
So when is Auburn going on probation, 404?
Auburn Fans are horrible.
May 18th, 2011
2:29 pm
Fulmer Cup Champ 2010 = WDE
Fulmer Cup Champions 2011--Auburn Tigers
May 18th, 2011
2:30 pm
Oh yeah…Auburn fans it is always a positive signal when you single biggest donor is voted off of the board of trustees. This is a really good thing right?
Next thing you know you will be trying to convince me that a lack of evidence proving some wrong doing is the same as being innocent and that Nick Fairley played by the rules–oh wait. Damn.
Let He Who Is Without Sin...
May 18th, 2011
2:34 pm
You Leghumpers and Bammers throwing stones at Auburn is the ULTIMATE example of a POT calling a kettle BLACK…the WORST comments I read about ANY SEC team are always on the comments to one of the AJC blogs like this one when Auburn is written about…thanks to the internet for helping ruin ANY last vestige of sportsmanship in College Football, especially in the SEC…God Knows it has helped ruin UGA-AU…with Auburn-AL, it may have taken a poisoned tree and a killer tornado to chill folks out…yet, we are all so hooked, we will keep watching and posting and agonizing over a corrupt, dirty game…keep those comments coming, folks!
Fulmer Cup Champions 2011--Auburn Tigers
May 18th, 2011
2:36 pm
Let He Who Is Without Sin…apparently you have not been on a UGA blog recently. Your Auburn Fan bretheren ruin the blog every single day(with help from a couple of tech idiots) with their smack talk.
To say that Auburn ‘has it coming’ on this blog and the NCAA Investigation is an understatement.
Grad 89
May 18th, 2011
2:42 pm
There is no need to point fingers here and certainly not call us Kentucky in orange and blue…. Every SEC school has connections, our connections are simply not as good at hiding the obvious it seems… Whenever there is a rise in power, the NCAA comes a hunting and there are oh so proud lesser schools waiting to point fingers and dig up the dirt… I seem to remember a guy named Reggie Bush that had the same talent as a Cam Newton…. I just hope that Cam takes lots of pictures while he has the trophy….
WDE 86-87
May 18th, 2011
2:49 pm
if you think for one minute that payment of athletes at big schools isn’t rampant at every school, you obviously never played sports in college, never went to college, or live under a rock! how do you think the same programs are successful each and every year?
Really UGA fans
May 18th, 2011
2:51 pm
Guess you still cant get over that beat down can you? Just come on here and talk about how Auburn is going down blah blah blah… Bottom Line is you don’t have any idea what the NCAA is doing. You have no idea whether Auburn cheated or not. You just want Auburn to get the title taken away because you are the only one left of the big six that doesn’t have a crystal football. As long as Richt is there you want get one either. Stop your whining
Greg
May 18th, 2011
2:53 pm
The only time Auburn has ever been worth a damn at anything has been a direct result of cheating. This time will be no different than the others…the penalties will come, but Auburn fans don’t care. They got a championship, no matter how tainted.
Congrats on finally beating UGA again…thanks to renting your two best players for one year. It was worth whatever it cost, right? Somebody tell me about that Auburn creed again…something about honesty. That is truly hilarious.
UGA Insider
May 18th, 2011
2:55 pm
The Summer of Scandal in the SEC is about to heat up!
Bill
May 18th, 2011
2:56 pm
Bobby Lowder was always the most prepared trustee at their board meetings, asking the most intelligent questions and making the wisest suggests. He and his familly haave given Auburn University severall million dollars.
I think most of the comments made here have been made by people who couldn’t hold a candle to what Lowder has meant to Auburn. He deserves a much better send off . . .
George G.
May 18th, 2011
2:56 pm
404 –
You simply don’t know what you are talking about. Thayer Evans (of all people) wrote in January that the contractors HAVEN’T been paid by Cecil Newton, and don’t expect to be. They are quoted as saying that Cecil Newton gave of the impression of a guy that DIDN’T have money, and wasn’t going to pay. The church isn’t New Birth. It’s essentially an airplane hangar. As of late January, the only repairs made to it were to prevent it from being condemned, AND IT DIDN’T EVEN HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
The mis-information passed around in the Cecil Newton case is absolutely mind-boggling. Facts suggest that Auburn did nothing wrong, only that Mississippi State may be in some trouble. But never let facts get in the way of a good story, right 404?
trupert
May 18th, 2011
2:56 pm
Wow, Bobby lowder has decided to step aside?
This can’t be good for Auburn in the short turm because it’s a sign that his cheating ways have either been uncovered by the NCAA or they are getting too close.
Funny thing is that, Lowder is the one who suggested that Pat Dye needed to step aside when his cheating ways, which were at the direction of Lowder were found out.
I wonder what Auburn will name after Bobby lowder. For Dye it was the football field and for Jordan it was the stadium. Auburn has an established history for dedicating monuments too their most successful cheaters, so , it will be intersting to see what Lowder get’s his name on.
My advice to Auburn fans. This is the perfect opportunity for the fans and alumni to push for total reform of the Auburn foot ball program. It’s high time to clean the program up. 50+ years of paying players has made Auburn’s program a total disgrace.
UGA Insider
May 18th, 2011
2:57 pm
Let us not forget there on ongoing open investigations currently at: LSU, ALABAMA, UT and yes….AUBURN!
Greg
May 18th, 2011
3:00 pm
WDE, yeah, everybody does it. The Cam Newton story is repeated hundreds of times every year…it’s just that everybody hates The Barn. Keep telling yourself that to make yourself feel better.
What SMU did in the early 80’s is nothing compared to Auburn. Auburn and Lowder have been doing it for nearly 4 decades.
Will
May 18th, 2011
3:07 pm
I saw where Michael Dyer is going to be a witness against the Auburn 4… I swear you can’t make this stuff up what goes on over there.
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2011
3:09 pm
What a creepy guy.
Hollywould
May 18th, 2011
3:14 pm
Keep hatin folks. I am wearing my championship hat. When u pups win one let me know.
AlabamaSweet
May 18th, 2011
3:15 pm
You don’t seriously believe that just because Lowder is “officially” gone from Auburn that the money, the deals, and the handshakes will end, do you? Lowder is more free now than ever to dirty the water. If the NCAA has an ounce of integrity Auburn’s “success” will be exposed…Lowder will never answer for any of it.
Harvey Updyke Jr.
May 18th, 2011
3:15 pm
He’s innocent!
Harvey Updyke Jr.
May 18th, 2011
3:16 pm
Enter your comments here
SteelWorker69
May 18th, 2011
3:25 pm
Paul N Destin, Layoff the Crack Pipe. If you don’t believe that $1000.00 handshakes don’t happen everywhere then you need to go smell more unicorn farts! The best thing that could have happened was that the Banker left, now we can get down to some real smash mouth football. Hold on to your crystal football boys it’s about to get good! Don’t worry about AUBURN, the NCAA can look all they want, nothing to hide when you’ve done nothing wrong. I guess Haters will always be Haters
JD
May 18th, 2011
3:26 pm
Auburn going on probation? Auburn has not even received a letter from the NCAA… where do u leg humpers get your facts?
Lowder got voted off? do u idiots even read?
another BADLEY written article by the UGA blogger Mark Badley
Gay Dawg
May 18th, 2011
3:27 pm
Lowder was cute!
Paul N Destin
May 18th, 2011
3:29 pm
Lowder was just the money trying to correct the auburn inferiority complex. Coach Bryant placed the awful complex on the Tigers and as of today they’re still trying to be something other than just good old Auburn as Coach Bryant called them. Jimmy Rayne will be the man now to run the show. You do understand that the woodman made a 6 million dollar phone call to Houston Nutt to offer the Auburn job (Tubbs still the coach) on Sunday following the 2008 Bama vs Auburn game??? Do you know of any other BOT members that would void a contract because his team (walkon jock sniffer at Auburn was Rayne) got their azz beat 36-0 knowing it would cost him 6 million before sundown?? If you think buying players with front pocket money is a problem for Auburn then you don’t understand the banker, the woodman nor the old drunk coach. The only way Auburn can compete is to buy elite players and they do and have since the old drunk coach came to the plains. How many schools do you know that still have former coaches from the 80/90’s still on the payroll just to keep it down home cuz! The Auburn Creed….”does anyone know you’re at the bank”…Pat Dye
Harvey Updyke Jr.
May 18th, 2011
3:30 pm
Who hates Auburn?
Big Macon Dawgs
May 18th, 2011
3:38 pm
Anyone who believes you can take two loser coaches like Chizik and Ted (Leaky) Roof and have the success All-Barn has had without major cheating is kidding themselves.
Tubs and Tatter Tott were trying to clean up the program, or at least make it somewhat respectable. It’s what got them fired.
Chizik was desperate, and malleable to Auburns sleazy ways. Got him hired.
Haters Gonna Hate
May 18th, 2011
3:40 pm
Inferiority complex Macon??? You guys had a block party after scoring a TD against UF. We have a national title and are 8-3 versus bama in the 2000s. Almost as good the previous 20 years. I think you should look at a mirror. LOL!
AUNANA
May 18th, 2011
3:41 pm
Good-bye Bobby, and don’t let the door hit your behind on the way out!
2010 Fulmer Cup Champs
May 18th, 2011
3:43 pm
“Anyone who believes you can take two loser coaches like Chizik ”
Chizik has been a part of 3 undefeated teams. Chizik has a national championship under his belt.
Mark Richt, not so much.
Big Macon Dawgs
May 18th, 2011
3:44 pm
All I’m saying is NO-ONE with the IQ of green bean fires a HC like Tubs for a coach with a 5-17 record on the up and up.
That video of the Auburn fan heckling Jay Jacobs on You Tube is PRICELESS!
gdawginkalamazoo
May 18th, 2011
3:44 pm
I heard a raiod ad from a Jim Tressel dealership the other day, went something like this:
Come on down to Jim Tressel Cadillac! Home of the Silver & Scarlett Escalades with 22″ DUBS. Remember our O% financing, 0 down, and 0 payments for four years (three if you go pro early) program. This weekend only free tattoo’s with a test drive.
I thought that was a nice program but it is not available to middle aged white guys that run 15.9/40.
Haters Gonna Hate
May 18th, 2011
3:44 pm
I think UGA fans feel if they badmouth AU enough the title will not exist. LOL!!! Haters gonna hate!
Fulmer Cup Champions 2011--Auburn Tigers
May 18th, 2011
3:44 pm
I do Harvey…looks like the arrest tally is up to 6 for the year!
Wow…as often as Auburn fans told the hilarious joke about the UGA football dorms being the the Clarke County Jail, I sure hope they don’t get all sullen when those jokes come back their way. But they ARE Auburn fans so they will.
What’s that? This last one was only a driving incident? Well that didn’t matter to all you high and mighty a-holes last year–did it? An arrest is an arrest.
Cheaters are cheaters…and AU fans can always dish it out way better than they can take it.
This is really going to be one fun year!!
Haters Gonna Hate
May 18th, 2011
3:45 pm
Enter your comments hereMark Bradley you really are pathetic. Bobby Lowder was right to fire Terry Bowden and the Jetgate was a black eye, but how many other schools in the SEC participate in shifty stuff? I am sure Rodney Garner and Richt appeal to parents want that their kids get stern dicipline and good grades.
Lowder presided over AU for the past 30 years in which we won 6 SEC titles, 3 undefeated seasons and one national title (should be two or three but Miami deserved to jump AU in 1983 despite playing a weak schedule).
One of the best parts of the AU title is seeing UGA fans up in arms. They can no longer hold their 1980 title over AU heads as a more recent championship. They are bitter that they have not tasted an undefeated season since 1980 and we have tasted 3.
Auburn under Tubs and know Chizik has one of the highest grad rates inthe SEC and when our players do wrong they actually are punished and held accountable. UGA fans throwing stones is laughable.
BTW – that undeafeated season was a joke in 1980. 12 D1A opponents with a 41% winning percentage combined. 5 teams with 3 or more loses. No team with 10 wins they beat. WOW!!! What a joke. They may claim a title in 1980 but UGA fans should look at 1883, 1993, 2004 and 2010 AU teams to see what a real champion looks like.
HAHAHAH WAR EAGLE AND KISS THE RING!!! Maybe you’ll get a taste one day but I don’t see any SEC schedules for UGA ike they had in 1980 so probably not!! LOL!
Haters Gonna Hate
May 18th, 2011
3:47 pm
Fulmer Cup….the difference between UGA and AUburn is not the arrest (welll UGA has has substantially more off field incidents) but the REAL difference is Auburn actually punishes players. Tubs and Chizik weren’t taught discipline at FSU.
Haters Gonna Hate
May 18th, 2011
3:47 pm
Macon look at the AU 2007 and 2008 recruiting classes under Tubs and look at how many ACTUALLY start or contribute. that is why tubs is gone…same with Bowden. Tubs deserved to go.
You might also look at Chizik as an assistant at AU and at UT. He fielded one of AUs best defenses in 2002. He also understands you need a good offense. Something Tubs never knew. I am sure judging chizik and Roof as head coaches at Iowa State and Duke is deep thinking for UGA sidewalk alumnus but at AU we are a little more thoughtful.
Bo in North Carolina
May 18th, 2011
3:49 pm
404 In your post you stated “systemic corruption in the entire SEC” and “nefarious methods of cheating used by the SEC”. Since you have so much inside information please list each school and what “nefarious” methods each school is using.The NCAA would appreciate this info.
Auboy1981
May 18th, 2011
3:49 pm
I am truly amused by this thread. The truth is most Auburn grads and fans were not fans of Bobby Lowder. Most Auburn folks play the game the way it is supposed to be played. It wasn’t Cam that made our team. It wasn’t Lowder that funded our team. It was a group effort, where in the 2nd time in history a bunch of talented youngsters played their heart out for the school. Those of you that think otherwise don’t understand Auburn. Then again the guy on top always gets the most attention…..WDE….We wouldn’t have it any other way….
danny
May 18th, 2011
3:50 pm
It’s hilarious how Georgia fans always seem to spout sour grapes especially when they go 6 and 7.
Fulmer Cup Champions 2011--Auburn Tigers
May 18th, 2011
3:52 pm
Haters Gonna Hate…high and mighty handle right there. Even higher and mightier post.
Just like an Auburn fan point at another team’s misfortune to justify their own self worth.
“You lose to Florida; so I feel better about myself.”
“Sure we may be being investigated by the NCAA–but YOU had a bunch of players arrested last year, so there.”
Okay. Great, great post buddy.
Haters Gonna Hate
May 18th, 2011
3:52 pm
Auboy1981…the UGA sidewalk contingent is just upset that their 1980 national title is becoming more distant by the year while other SEC teams are taking home the hardware. They are jealous of AUs undefeated seasons.
They realize the 1980 title was ajoke as they played nobody that year.
Haters Gonna Hate
May 18th, 2011
3:54 pm
Are you crying Fulmer cup??? LOL!
Fulmer Cup Champions 2011--Auburn Tigers
May 18th, 2011
3:57 pm
Haters…are ill gotten gains truly gains at all? They are at Auburn…your history of cheating speaks for itself. I will not be suprised when they take that trophy that you are so proud of away from you.
Auburn = Barry Bonds
2010 Fulmer Cup Champs
May 18th, 2011
3:57 pm
Hey mutts,
If Auburn is going on probation, when is it gonna happen?
The reason I ask is because you same idiots keep repeating the same garbage over and over again.
EXAMPLE: WE’Z GONE WIN US DA 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!! GO DOGS SIC EM.
See, just because you repeat the same lie year in and year out doesn’t mean it will come true.