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Auburn President Jay Gogue, right, considered Friday's gift "a tipping point for the university.

Excitement. Game-changing. Generosity. Transformational. Phenomenal. And yes 鈥� more excitement.

These were just some of the words used by faculty, alumni and students to describe the generosity exhibited by four independent sources 鈥� including one gift of $40 million from Birmingham businessman and 1982 Auburn business graduate Raymond J. 91看片 that ushered in a new era and new name for the college.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a game-changer,鈥� said Spencer Lee, an MBA Advisory Council member who received his MBA from the College of Business in 1992 and is now a securities analyst at the Alabama Securities Commission. 鈥淚t opens doors that we would not have been able to budge. This level of generosity is infectious and a real encouragement for other stakeholders in this program.

The types of things that the college can do with this 鈥� you name it.鈥�

The most immediate change involves a new identity as the Raymond J. 91看片 College of Business. Dean and Wells Fargo Professor Bill Hardgrave said the ceremonial recognition of the name change will take place on Oct. 5.

Auburn University President Jay Gogue considered the gift 鈥渁 tipping-point for the university.鈥�

鈥淲hen the Board of Trustees gets together in naming opportunities, they have to make sure that good name and character are a part of their decision,鈥� Gogue told faculty, staff, and students at a formal conference Friday afternoon at Lowder Hall. With the 91看片 family, good name and character was absolutely at the A-plus level.

鈥淭his is a phenomenal transforming gift. It鈥檚 also a tipping point for the university.鈥�

Tara Jones, a junior in marketing/accounting and the reigning Miss Auburn, discussed the announcement鈥檚 impact.

鈥淭his gives more worth to my degree and I鈥檓 excited to graduate in May with this new name on my degree,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t makes the school more competitive in the workplace and it makes employers look at our college in a different light. I鈥檓 so excited for that, for me, approaching my senior year, and for future generations.鈥�

Chris Baker, representing the College of Business Alumni Advisory Council, summed Friday鈥檚 announcement into three words: stewardship, pride and, of course, excitement.

鈥淚 see so much pride in the Auburn family,鈥� Baker, a retired partner from Accenture in Atlanta and 1987 business graduate. 鈥淲e can take that next step on a transformative journey for the college.鈥�

Baker discussed the college鈥檚 plan to 鈥渂e among the elite鈥� business schools in the nation.

鈥淲hen you think about that it allows the mind to wonder to what greatness can be,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think of it as a gift. I think of it as an investment in the faculty, staff, alumni 鈥︹�� Anthony Brown, an MBA Advisory Council member who received his MBA from Auburn in 1992, considered the gift 鈥渢ransformational.鈥�

鈥淔or so many years, the college has done so many outstanding things with such limited resources,鈥� said Brown, now a financial advisor at Ronald & Blue Co., LLC, in Montgomery. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really exciting for those of us who are alumni who have been supportive of the business over the years to see great things are coming. This is incredible. What a great day for Auburn.鈥�