KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee football is rich in tradition and Vols Wire will explore the history of the program by examining each head coach’s tenure with the Volunteers.
This installment will look at Tennessee’s football program during the 1896 and 1897 seasons.
After an abysmal 1893 campaign, UT’s Athletic Association officially dropped varsity football. W.B. Stokely, a senior and transfer student from Wake Forest, persuaded some other athletes on campus to field a team. He was then elected captain.
For two seasons, the team competed but did not officially represent the school. The squad went 5-2-3 during those two years.
In 1896, varsity football officially returned to Tennessee and began competing in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. It remained in the conference until 1920.
Upon officially returning, the Vols went undefeated in 1896. Posting a 4-0 record, Tennessee had wins over Williamsburg Institute, Chattanooga Athletic Club, Virginia Tech and Central University.
UT had three games that year and played all of its games in-state, the lone road game was in Chattanooga.
In 1897, the Vols went 4-1, beating King College, Williamsburg Institute, Virginia Tech and Bristol Athletic Club.
The Vols’ lone loss was to North Carolina in Knoxville where the Tar Heels won 16-0. Tennessee had shutouts in each of its four wins.
The program did not field a team in 1898 due to the Spanish-American War.