It started with a preseason promise in 1999: Auburn's first-year coach, Tommy Tuberville, was 2-0 at the start of his reclamation project. Though the wins weren't impressive, a trip to LSU loomed large in Week 3.
Auburn hadn't won a road game in two years, and Tuberville promised his nine point-underdog Tigers if they could pull the upset, they would smoke postgame cigars.
Auburn brought cases of stogies on the team bus to the game, and the Tigers war damn eagled all over LSU, 41-7.
The Tuberville Gang — victors of the "Cigar Game" — promptly lit it up on the field. The NCAA, much like LSU, wasn't amused.
From Al.com:
It wasn't all fun and games, however. The NCAA fired off a nasty letter to Auburn and threatened to declare players ineligible if they did not fork over $1 a piece for receiving improper benefits (one cigar).
"We gladly went through our couches and found the change," Leard said.
Tuberville never used cigars as a prize for players again.
That 1999 Auburn team finished 5-6 (2-6 in the SEC).
The whole article is worth a read.
Source: @MattSBN
