Hugh Freeze: Auburn players used NIL dollars to keep kids out of foster care

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze shared that a handful of players used their NIL dollars to give back to the community last week.

Now in Year Two with the Tigers, he’s ramped up recruiting and is working on making Auburn competitive in the SEC. He’s also making sure his athletes are giving back to the greater Auburn and Alabama community.

Thanks to NIL, some players on the Auburn football team donated NIL dollars last week to make sure kids stayed out of the foster care system. Freeze and his wife, Jill, also contributed to the fund. The Tigers opened up the season with a 73-3 win over Alabama A&M over the weekend.

“They’re blessed with scholarships and financial things,” Freeze said in his Monday press conference. “Obviously, we want to give back. We were able to, last week, we have Auburn For Others. Many of them decided to give portions of their NIL along with Jill and I to meet the needs of 13 families in the state of Alabama to help keep their children out of the foster care system.

“That’s something I’m really, really proud of. Proud of our kids that said, ‘Coach, I want to help and be a part of that.’ That’s something that I hope continues to grow throughout the year as we continue to meet needs in the state of Alabama for the orphan and foster care systems.”

Auburn’s NIL collective On To Victory has been active on campus, signing the entire men’s and women’s basketball rosters, along with the volleyball team. A registered LLC, On To Victory states 90% of proceeds are going directly to Auburn athletes.

Freeze’s arrival on The Plains has only motivated donors more. And the coach is making sure his players give back to the community, too. The collective has facilitated well over 250 deals across 13 sports since July 2022. 

The Tigers host Cal on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.