The college football rivalry between Auburn and Alabama made headlines off the field this month as an Alabama fan was charged with poisoning two 130-year-old oak trees on the Auburn campus where fans celebrate victories.

Auburn is trying to save the trees, but if they die, the trees could end up being donated to Mystic Seaport to provide wood for the ongoing restoration of the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan.

Seaport shipyard director Quentin Snediker, who stays in touch with a network of people throughout the southeastern United States who help him locate wood for the project, said Thursday that he hopes the museum can obtain the trees if the effort to save them is unsuccessful.

It won't be the first Auburn wood being used on the ship. Wood from an oak tree that was in the yard of the school president has already been used to renovate the ship.

This is not the first time the Morgan project could benefit from a tree tragedy.

Massive oak trees felled by Hurricane Katrina and other storms along the Gulf Coast have already been donated to the museum for the project.