KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee football is rich in tradition and Vols Wire will explore the history of the program by examining each season on the gridiron.
This installment will look at the 1894 and 1895 seasons on Rocky Top. These campaigns are considered the lost years as they were not counted as official games or seasons.
After a disastrous 1893 season that saw Tennessee go 2-4 and get shut out in all four of its losses, the school’s Athletic Association decided to officially drop varsity football and concentrate its efforts on baseball.
The Vols closed the 1893 season with victories over Maryville College and Asheville Athletic Club, still only two players were willing to admit that they actually played for the team.
If not for W.B. Stokely, a transfer student from Wake Forest, Tennessee may not have the tradition and history that it has today.
Stokley persuaded some student-athletes to form a team and he was later elected captain. He provided encouragement and leadership for the team, which did not officially represent the university.
In 1894, the Vols recorded an undefeated season, going 2-0-2. The following year, the Vols were 3-2-1.
In 1896, Tennessee football officially returned and the Vols began competing in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association where they remained until 1920.