It has been quite a month for Auburn: almost upsetting Alabama in OT on March 1, beating Tennessee on Senior Night on March 4, having an amazing comeback vs. Arkansas in the SEC tourney that came up just short on March 9, beating Iowa in the 1st round of the NCAA tourney last Thursday, and holding a 10-PT halftime lead over Houston before losing in the 2nd round last Saturday. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Auburn cheerleader Britt Ware about a wild weekend in Birmingham.
You are from Birmingham: what made you choose Auburn? I am from a big Auburn family: my parents/grandparents went to Auburn…but 1 of my grandfathers played football for Bear Bryant. I have always loved the games/atmosphere so it was not a hard decision and I have loved it here.
Your NCAA tourney games were in your hometown last week: did you have any family/friends who got to see you in person at Legacy Arena? Yes: my parents got to come, which I was so thankful for. My sister could not make it because she had cheer tryouts but my brother came down from Nashville for the game. I actually got to cheer in that same arena during high school when our basketball team won 3 straight titles from 2017-2019 so it was fun to be back in that position.
How long have you been cheering for, and what is the best part? I started cheering in 6th grade so I have done it for a long time. Competitive cheer and sideline cheer are very different but coming here I was interested in the community aspect of it. I wanted to serve my school/community so the best part has been meeting people and getting to appear at events with people of varying ages from babies to folks in nursing homes.
Your family friend Juli Carr was an Auburn cheerleader back in the 1980s: how has the role of a cheerleader changed over time (if at all)? Auburn is very traditional and we try our hardest to keep it that way. It has changed a little over time but we have always been community-based and it can only change so much. There are only 10 girls and 10 guys so every year we have to teach our new teammates why we do this/love this.
Your favorite Auburn tradition is Tiger Walk: what is it, and why is it so special? That is the 1 thing I remember attending from age 5. It is 1 of the best game day traditions: even when we were not doing great in football there are still fans who show up and cheer you on every step of the way. It makes you so grateful to walk down the aisle and wave to little girls sitting on their father’s shoulders. It is 1 of the calmer/busier moments of the day and just shows what makes the Auburn family so special.
You are majoring in hospitality management: why did you choose that subject? I have always loved planning events. My mom is an interior designer but I know that it is a LOT of work. I do not know if I want to deal with crazy brides at a wedding but I do love flower arrangements, organizing a schedule for someone else, etc. I love to serve people so if I can be a planner/coordinator then I could help take the stress off of someone else. The combination of structure/creativity has always caught my eye.
What is the post-graduation plan? I made the cheer team during my sophomore year…which was during COVID. I will stick around 1 more year and hopefully have an internship this summer. We have 5 girls graduating so my main plan is to help the 5 new girls replacing them. I plan to minor in leadership, which will help me be a leader during my final year.
What was your favorite moment from this season: starting 16-3, beating Tennessee on Senior Night, almost beating Alabama in OT on March 1st, other? I would say the Tennessee game, which was pretty exciting. It seems like most of our losses this year have been closed games that were decided during the final 5 minutes. It was really fun to have our entire squad back for the 1st time since football season. The fans were excited to honor the seniors and it was fun to watch them from courtside.
How did your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what did it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? It was awesome. Every single experience is fun whether we win or lose, and you have to take in every single moment because you never know when it will be your last game. It really taught me to never take anything for granted, which helps because our team was on fire. I still cannot believe that we were on TV.
Last weekend you beat Iowa and lost to Houston in Birmingham: how was it? There were a lot of emotions. The Iowa game was really exciting and we kept saying that it would be the start of our hot streak. The energy rolled over into our 2nd game vs. #1 seed Houston: we did not want to get our hopes up but we did a great job of pushing ourselves to the last minute. I was really proud of our team because they worked so hard: we just need to work on our FTs (19-36 vs. the Cougars)! Bruce Pearl is a great coach and my friends/family have been so supportive during this whole experience. Just to look up and see them smiling in the stands makes it all worth it.