Department of Athletics Records

The intercollegiate athletics program was founded in 1906 with a primary focus on baseball and football teams with basketball being added to the program in 1907, as well as a lesser emphasis on several so-called "minor sports" such as track, tennis and swimming. On March 13, 1920, the relatively small, faculty based athletics program was replaced with the Athletics Council, an aggressive, alumni-driven program, one of whose major goals was a bigger, better football program. The football program was very successful in its early years, especially from 1914-1932 under the coaching of Walter P. Steffen, who, with a career record of 88 wins, 53 losses and 8 ties, led the team to victory over other Class-A opponents such as Pitt, Notre Dame, and W and J, as well as participating in several Bowl events. The baseball program was short-lived, but had significant successes under several coaches including Honus Wagner before it was discontinued in 1926.

After a loss at the Sugar Bowl in the 1937 season, President Doherty declared an overall de-emphasizing of intercollegiate activities, citing rising operation deficits and a loss of focus on the academic work of the school. Doherty's announcement was met with great debate, including several student protests and an effigy hanging. Due to the institution-wide de-emphasis, as well as the discontinuation of several programs due to wartime constraints, the intercollegiate athletics program showed both long losing streaks and a growing disinterest on the part of the students. The basketball team, which had won the Eastern Intercollegiate Conference Championship in 1937-1938, had a long series of losing seasons, as well as .000 "goose-egg" year, though eventually the basketball program found more success within the de-emphasis than did the football program. The football team went a full nine years without a home victory, from 1940-1949, and never again reached the Class A status it had once held. In contrast to the decline of the major sports, the so-called "minor sports" of tennis, track and swimming consistently succeeded, setting multiple records as well as participating in numerous championships, even with only intermittent support from administration and students.