ɹˈaɪli ɹᵻsˈiːvd ðɪ ɛndˈoːɹsmənts ʌvðə bˈɜːmɪŋˌæm nˈuːz, ðə mˈoʊbəl pɹˈɛsɹˈɛdʒɪstɚ, ðə bˈɪznəs kˈaʊnsəl ʌv ˌæləbˈæmə, ænd ðɪ ˈɔːbɜːn jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi tɹˈʌstiː ɪmpɹˈuːvmənt pˌiːˌeɪsˈiː, ɐn ɐlˈʌmni ɡɹˈuːp wˌɪtʃ əpˈoʊzd sˈiːdʒlmənz tʃˈɔɪsᵻz fɔːɹ tɹˈʌstiːz æt ðə skˈuːl sˈiːɡəlmən ɹˌiːɐpˈɔɪntᵻd kˌɑːntɹəvˈɜːʃəl tɹˈʌstiː bˈɑːbi lˈoʊdɚ, noʊtˈoːɹiəs fɔːɹ kˈɑːnstənt ˌɪntəfˈɪɹəns ɪnðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾiz ɐfˈɛɹz.
Riley received the endorsements of The Birmingham News, the Mobile Press-Register, the Business Council of Alabama, and the Auburn University Trustee Improvement PAC, an alumni group which opposed Siegelman's choices for trustees at the school (Siegleman re-appointed controversial trustee Bobby Lowder, notorious for constant interference in the university's affairs).