Believe it or not, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were once a premier team in the Southeastern Conference. Tech was one of the league's founding members when the conference formed in 1932. From 1932 to 1963, Georgia Tech compiled a 206-110-12 record including 5 SEC championships and a national championship in 1952. To put this all in perspective, from 1964 to 1982, Tech compiled an unimpressive record of 104-100-5 with 0 titles in that span.
So why leave a league they had so much success in? The story goes back to two college football legends and their personal relationship: Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Dodd and Alabama head coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant. Dodd and Bryant, who had been known to be friends off the gridiron, had a personal rivalry between themselves that started in 1961 when the Crimson Tide took on the Yellow Jackets at Legion Field in Birmingham. In a defensive battle, Alabama emerged victorious with the 10-0 win. During the game however, Alabama's Darwin Holt intentionally elbowed Tech running back Chick Granning in the face, shattering his cheek bone and knocking out several teeth. Despite a media outcry to take disciplinary action out on Holt, Bryant, at least not publicly, did not. Bryant made it clear that the media would not dictate what he should and should not do with his players. From that day forward, it appeared the mutual respect between the two icons was no longer intact. Tech won the following season, 7-6 in Atlanta but lost the next two meetings afterward, sparking rumors that the reason Bobby Dodd left the conference was to avoid the annual meeting with the Bear and Alabama. In the 1964 season, the Southeastern Conference introduced the "140 Rule." The 140 rule stated that no league school could only have 140 players on scholarship in football and basketball at one time. This meant that some players would be losing their scholarships. Dodd protested the ruling, stating he did not feel it was the player's fault for not being good enough to stay on the team. The 140 rule went to a vote by the University president's of each school. The final vote was a tie, 6 league institutions in favor and 6 against. It came down the vote of the University of Alabama president. Bryant had previously told Dodd that he would convince the president to vote against the ruling. However, when the voting was held, Bryant did not make an appearance, the University of Alabama president voted in favor of the 140 rule. This was the final straw for Dodd and Georgia Tech. Immediately following the ruling, the Georgia Tech president took the podium and announced that Georgia Tech would be officially withdrawing from the league. With visions of becoming the "Notre Dame of the South", Georgia Tech officially went independent in 1964. In 1975 there were talks that Georgia Tech would rejoin the Southeastern Conference, however both Ole Miss and Mississippi State would not allow it. According to unconfirmed sources, while Tech was in the SEC, Bobby Dodd felt that Georgia Tech was to big of a name brand to go play game against schools like Mississippi State and Ole Miss. So when talks began that the Jackets would rejoin the conference, both Mississippi schools would not support a vote to let the storied program back in. In 1983, Georgia Tech retired their independent status and joined the Atlantic Coast Conference.
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The Southeastern Conference is home to some of the best venues in all of football. When SEC stadiums come to mind, Vanderbilt Stadium, the home of the Commodores, may not be the first stadium people think of. Although it may only seat 40,000 plus and not have a reputation for being one of the tougher environments to play in college football, Vanderbilt Stadium is one of the more historic stadiums in the conference. Vanderbilt University dedicated their new stadium on October 14, 1922. The stadium then was named Dudley Field, after William Dudley, the Dean of Vanderbilt's Medical School from 1885 to 1914. Dudley was also instrumental in forming the Southern Collegiate Athletic Association which preceded the Southeastern Conference.
Dudley Field was the first stadium in the south that was used exclusively for football. In that first game at Dudley Field in 1922, the Commodores battled to a 0-0 tie against national powerhouse Michigan. A goal line stand late in the game by the Vanderbilt defense prevented Michigan from winning the game by a one score decision. That first season, Dudley Field seated 20,000 fans. By 1960, it housed over 34,000. In 1954, their was a lighting system installed at the stadium, and the Commodores played their first ever night game at Dudley Field in a 25-19 loss to Baylor. After $10.1 million renovation in 1981, the stadium was renamed Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field. That first game in the newly named Vanderbilt Stadium was a 23-17 victory for the Commodores over heavily favored Maryland. When the Houston Oilers moved to Nashville in 1998, the Oilers played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium while their current location, Nissan Stadium, was being constructed. Today, the Commodores' home venue is among the most historic in college football. The most recent renovations include a 17,000 square foot, 4 level press box and prior to the 2012 season, the grass playing surface at Vanderbilt Stadium was replaced with field turf and new jumboTron scoreboard was placed in the North endzone. Important dates and events at Vanderbilt Stadium since its opening in 1922: 1892 Old Dudley Field serves as home until 1922. 1922 The new stadium, Dudley Field, is dedicated on Oct. 14 vs Michigan 1949 A new press box and new seats on the west side boost the capacity to 27,901 1954 On September 25, Vanderbilt plays first night game vs Baylor 1960 Seating additions to the east side expand capacity to 34,000 1963 President John F. Kennedy speaks to audience of 33,000 1970 AstroTurf installed at a cost of $250,000 1980 Dudley Field demolished and replaced by Vanderbilt Stadium 1998 JumboTron video screen installed ... Tennessee oilers play home games at VU. 2002 Dudley Field natural grass surface renovated after upgrades in 1999. 2003 North end zone bleacher section removed. 2012 New Turf installed. 2013 Vanderbilt upsets Georgia at home. |
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