The South's Oldest College Football Field

Sewanee's McGee Field is the South's oldest college football field in its original location, and the fourth oldest in the nation.

In the first game ever played there, then called Hardee Field, on November 7, 1891, Sewanee lost to Vanderbilt, 22-0.

In 1897, Coach John Heisman (as in the Heisman Trophy) brought his undefeated Auburn team to Sewanee and had to settle for a scoreless tie.

In 1948, former Southeastern Conference commissioner Roy Kramer was on the Maryville College team that lost 12-6 there.

Coach Bobby Bowden of Florida State is 1-1 on the field as a player and coach. Bowden played there in 1951 for Howard College, which lost 41-0, and in 1959 he coached Howard (now Samford) to a 20-0 win.

And speaking of Florida State... The last time Sewanee played a major football power of any kind at McGee Field was in 1949 when Florida State paid a visit and came away with a slim 6-0 victory. The following year saw Sewanee go down to Tallahasse as the homecoming opponent for the Seminoles when FSU dedicated Doak Campbell Stadium. That was Sewanee's last hurrah on the big stage of college football.


But during Sewanee's first 50 years of football (1891-1940) produced a home record of 106-15-9 (85%). Within that first half century was a near-perfect run of 51-0-4 from 1894-1913, including 32 straight wins (1901-1911), with Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi State among the fallen foes. A 7-6 loss to Georgia in 1914 barely slowed the Tigers as they were 29-4-3 at home the next 12 years.

Another interesting fact about the 3,000-seat stadium is that there are no lights. There have never been lights and, consequently, there has never been a night game played up on the Mountain.

Perhaps the most-asked question ever concerning McGee Field is this: "What's the deal with the words Yea Sewanee's Right on the pressbox?" The answer is that the words Yeah Sewanee's Right are the surviving line of a vintage 1890s cheer that goes like this:

"Rip `em up! Tear `em up! Leave `em in a lurch. Down with the heathen. Up with the Church. Yea, Sewanee's Right!"

Tradition never graduates.