Auburn vs. Georgia: Game Day

Auburn players celebrate with fans after the Tigers' 43-38 win over Georgia Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

(JULIE BENNETT)

DESTIN, Florida -- Auburn is attempting to finalize a two-year contract with a premier non-conference opponent starting in 2016.



Auburn is communicating with a Power 5 conference team and could be close to signing the deal. The contract would include a home game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2016 and a return trip to the opposing school in 2017, which is geographically close to Auburn, athletics director Jay Jacobs told AL.com.



"That would be the ideal thing, but if we can't do that then we may do a neutral site game in '16 and come back home in '17 or vice versa," Jacobs said.



Auburn is attempting to counterbalance its road-heavy schedule in 2016, which ends with road games at rivals Georgia and Alabama.



A deal could be struck within the next month, Jacobs said. If the talks end without an agreement, Auburn is looking at the possibility of playing a different team at a neutral site in 2016.



Auburn is no stranger to neutral-site games and is already scheduled to play Louisville in its 2015 season opener inside the Georgia Dome.



The Tigers are actively seeking opponents in 2016 and beyond after the SEC settled on an eight-game conference format in May. Auburn's preliminary discussions have included teams in the ACC, Jacobs said, but the school is open to other conferences outside the SEC footprint.

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The SEC mandated its schools in May to schedule at least one team from the ACC, Big 12, Big 10 or Pac-12 starting in 2016. Auburn is aiming high in the far future, too.



"I'd love to play Notre Dame, Michigan (or) Florida State," Jacobs said. "All those teams that are traditionally good teams."



Auburn has not talked to those three teams yet, Jacobs said, but Auburn is willing to talk. "We just want good quality opponents that would be fun for the players," Jacobs said.

Notre Dame appears to be locked up in the immediate future and could meet Georgia some time between the 2017 and 2020 seasons, according to the Macon Telegraph.



Auburn played FSU seven times between 1983 and 1990, when the Seminoles made their fast rise as a national power. The teams played in some dramatic games, but the series went dormant before the Tigers and Seminoles snapped a 14-year drought in the rivalry at the BCS National Championship Game in January.



Auburn and FSU signed a contract to play in 1999, but Auburn pulled out of the game.



Auburn is scheduled to travel to Kansas State in September and will host Arkansas State in 2016.





