South's Oldest Field: It's Homecoming today at Sewanee as the Tigers host Austin College (Texas) at McGee Field, the South's oldest college football field.
photo by University of the South
While LSU-Alabama steals most of the headlines and attention on this first Saturday in November there are other notable collegiate contests around the nation played on hallowed grounds.
Hours before the roar of the crowd from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa transcend across the nation via television and radio, smaller, but no less faithful crowds will gather to watch young men do battle on a few of the oldest college football fields (not stadiums) in the nation. (Note: oldest college football fields which are in original on-campus locations)
From the northeast and Amherst and Wesleyan College down the Eastern seaboard to legendary Franklin Field where Princeton and Penn will kickoff at 1 p.m. and over to the Tennessee Cumberland Plateau where tradition-rich the University of the South hosts Austin (Texas) for Homecoming and the anniversary of its first home game.
While Wesleyan (Conn.) hosts Williams on Andrus Field, the nation’s oldest college football field, the marquee game among small colleges is Amherst (6-0) hosting Trinity (6-0) at the Pratt Field, the nation’s third oldest field. Both games have 1 p.m. kickoffs.
Six Oldest College Football Fields
(*games played at home today)
1. *Andrus Field ... Wesleyan Univ. (Conn.) … Oct. 31, 1881
2. Weston Field … Williams College … Nov. 1883
3. *Pratt Field … Amherst (Mass.) … fall, 1891
4. *McGee Field … Sewanee (Tenn.) … Nov. 7, 1891
5. Wilder Field … Ill. Wesleyan … fall, 1893
6. *Franklin Field …Pennsylvania … Oct. 1, 1895
Today’s Games:
ANDRUS FIELD – Wesleyan Univ. (Conn.) … oldest college football field in the nation
First Game: Oct. 31, 1981 … lost to Amherst
Today’s Game: 1 p.m. - Williams (4-2) at Wesleyan (3-3) … Williams leads series 74-37-5 ... Williams' home field, Weston Field, is the second oldest football field in the nation.
Andrus Field is named for John Emery Andrus (class of 1862) ... varsity baseball is also played on Andrus Field located at Corwin Stadium in the middle of campus
Closing in on 500 wins ... Wesleyan is 495-492-42 entering today’s game
PRATT FIELD – Amherst (Mass.)… The Amherst Lord Jeffs play on the nation’s third oldest field …
First Game: Fall, 1891
Today’s Game: Trinity (Conn.) (6-0) at Amherst (6-0) ... battle for sole possession of first place in the New England Small College Athletic Conference
Quick Facts: founded in 1821 … Noah Webster (yep, the dictionary guy) played a vital role in fund raising and shaping the institution.
The Little Three: Amherst, Wesleyan and Williams form "The Little Three" conference ... it is believed to be America’s oldest, continuous intercollegiate athletic conference without a membership change ... Little Three championships are contested in 24 sports throughout the academic year.
McGEE FIELD – Sewanee (Tenn.) … oldest field in the South
First Game: Nov. 7, 1891 ... lost to Vanderbilt, 22-0
Today’s Game: 1 p.m. (CDT) … Austin College (Texas) (0-8) at Sewanee (4-5)
Today is the 120th anniv. of Sewanee's first home game ever …
Sewanee closes out its season with Homecoming on the mountain … The Tigers were unbeaten for 20 years at home, 51-0-4, 1894-1913 … three alums are in the College Football Hall of Fame … other famous alums include, Senator Howard Baker, hall of fame basketball coach Joe B. Hall, soccer great Kyle Rote Jr. and former SEC commissioner and Olympic coach Bernie Moore.
FRANKLIN FIELD – Pennsylvania … oldest Div. I football field
First Game: Oct. 1, 1895
Today’s Game: Princeton (1-6) at Penn (4-3) … Ivy League contest and its Homecoming at Franklin Field at 1 p.m.
The Army Navy Game was once played here, the Penn Relays have been run every year since 1895 and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers and coach Vince Lombardi for the NFL title in 1960.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net