When Ali Carroll first moved to Auburn, Alabama, one phrase echoed everywhere she went: War Eagle. It rang out on campus, hummed through coffee shop chatter, even surfaced in church pews. The words were unfamiliar for someone new to the Plains, but the spirit behind them wasn’t.
“It was a sentiment shared by essentially everyone in the community. Occasionally, I’d also hear ‘War Damn Eagle,’ and I remember thinking, ‘This place feels so much like a family, it should be War Fam Eagle,’” she says.
At the time, the thought was fleeting, tucked away in the corners of her mind as she pursued a Ph.D in Kinesiology, taught college courses, and settled into family life. But that passing phrase continued to surface through family and friends, which eventually sparked something bigger: a lifestyle apparel and game day brand rooted in the Auburn identity.
Ali’s path to Auburn wasn’t direct. She grew up in a tight-knit Italian American family in Buffalo, New York, then moved to Pensacola, Florida, as a teenager. College and graduate school kept her in the Panhandle, where she earned degrees in health sciences from the University of West Florida. Though she hadn’t experienced life in a true college town, she often visited friends at universities like LSU, Florida State, Alabama, and Florida. Each place had its own rhythm, but Auburn struck a different chord.
“Auburn was a place people came back to. People raised their kids here. It felt permanent in a way other places didn’t,” she says.
When job offers came from both Auburn University and UMass Amherst, the decision was easy. Auburn already felt like home. Today, she lives there with her husband, Patrick, and their two young children, Luca and Adelina. Together, they’re raising a family and building a brand that reflects the values they found in the Auburn community.
War Fam Eagle officially launched in July 2024, just days after Adelina’s birth. The timing wasn’t planned, but in hindsight, it felt poetic.
“We had no background in retail, just a vision and a lot of learning to do,” Ali says. “Plus, our daughter was just a few days old, so it felt like we were giving life to two things at once: a baby and a business.”
Their early days were filled with late-night research, licensing paperwork, product testing, and countless conversations about how to turn Auburn’s spirit into something tangible. From the beginning, they placed a premium on quality. Materials were handpicked to meet high standards and stand up beside premium labels like Peter Millar and others. Polos became instant bestsellers, with quarter-zips, sweatshirts, and hats quickly following. But War Fam Eagle didn’t stop at men’s clothing. The brand also includes styles for women and youth.
“We wanted our clothing to feel like Auburn because Auburn is a feeling,” Ali says. “Not just something you wear on game day, but something that fits into your everyday life—at work, on the golf course, or anywhere you go.”
That spirit shows up in every detail, including the logo: a soaring eagle above a sturdy oak, designed by a local Auburn artist and graduate, Andrew Lee. And to Ali and Patrick, it’s more than just branding.
“The logo reflects what the town and the university mean to us and so many others: strength, tradition, and endurance,” Ali says.
From the start, they saw the brand as a way to give back. Even in its early stages, War Fam Eagle supported local fundraisers and events, with more outreach already underway.
Ali still teaches part-time at the university, balancing her career and home life with help from what she calls an essential support system.
“We’re sitting in the shade of trees we didn’t plant. That’s something Patrick’s family quotes a lot, and it rings true for us. Our families, our church, our community—they’ve poured so much into us,” Ali says. “Without the Lord and the village He has surrounded us with, none of this would’ve happened. It’s not about us. It’s about honoring the place and the people we love.”
At its heart, War Fam Eagle is a love letter to Auburn, stitched into every shirt and sewn into the community it serves. TG
Images by Nathaly Norman and Al Blanton
For more information on War Fam Eagle or to order War Fam Eagle products, please visit warfameagle.com.
