Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum opened January 11th, 1969.
"We've got to get out of Beard-Eaves. There are a lot of ways to do that. We're not ruling anything out." Those words were recenty spoken by Auburn's Director of Facility Planning, Randy Byars.
While the new Arena is beautiful there are plenty of fans that have a fond affection for the building that some have labeled the "Old Gray Lady." She still holds a special place in the hearts of many a Tiger fan.
The Lady's fate has been in doubt since the opening last year of the state of the art new Auburn Arena. At present Beard- Eaves is seeing limited use; housing some offices, classes, and sports equipment and training areas.
It now seems the Board of Trustees has initiated steps to help answer the question of what will happen to Beard- Eaves with the recent approval of the hiring of an architect to help make an informed decision about the future of BEMC and the Watson Field House.
On a related note, it appears the new Indoor - Outdoor football practice facility will be open for the beginning of football practice this summer. The Defending National Champions will have a first class facility comprised of a 100 yard indoor field and two outdoor practice fields.
While that's good news for the football program, the question I still ponder is ... What will ultimately happen to Beard Eaves Memorial Coliseum?