The notion of using federal funds to construct colleges in each state had long been popular with Midwestern states and Whig politicians. The idea was to provide land to create universities that would teach agriculture and mechanical engineering. The movement always failed because it was opposed by Southerners in the Senate at a time where every political compromise was aimed at preserving the balance of power between the North and the South.
Then, in 1861, the South withdrew from the Union. The Whig Party was dead, but their dream endured. In 1863, the Morrill College Land Grant passed Congress and was signed into law. The act gave each state scrip to buy 30,000 acres of land and establish a university that would teach not only agriculture and mechanics, but also military arts.
Northern states rushed to take advantage. Kansas State was the first. It was followed by others, Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, West Virginia, Rutgers and Cornell. When the war ended, the South joined the party founding familiar institutions like Georgia, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Louisiana State, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and the University of Florida.
At the same time the South was creating their land grant colleges, along came American football. The first game of football is usually celebrated as being between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869. Rutgers won 6-4. But that game was really more like soccer with 25 men on each team. The first game that even moderately resembled modern football was played between Harvard and Yale in 1875. Teddy Roosevelt was there.
Universities on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line rushed to field teams. Those teams took on names that evoked the recent war between the states. Names like Rebels, Buckeyes, Hoosiers and Jayhawks. The Michigan Wolverines shared a nickname with a cavalry unit commanded by George Armstrong Custer. The Louisiana Tigers fought in Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Both of those units fought at Gettysburg.
Football became, especially in the South, a way to refight the Civil War; a way to rebuild our identity and pride. Famous football commentator and author Tony Barnhart, known as “Mr. College Football,” declared that “like all things in the South, the importance of college football can be traced back to the Civil War.” Starting in 1938, an annual Blue-Gray game was played by All Stars from colleges in the North and South.
In 1962, the Gator Bowl featured Penn State and the University of Florida. Penn State was heavily favored. They had beaten Georgia Tech the year before. Florida changed their helmet logo to a Confederate Battle Flag. The Gators upset the Nittany Lions 17-7. It is remembered as one of the greatest victories in Florida’s history up to that point.
To this day, Southern pride demands a national champion from the South. I was not born and raised here. I am, at best, a carpetbagger trying to work my way up to scalawag. But, I have learned that every bowl game, every national championship is like Gettysburg on the morning of July 3, 1863, in the hearts and minds of the South.
Scott A Grant is a local author and frequent contributor. He welcomes your comments at scottg@standfastic.com.
