1911 Kansas vs. Missouri football game

First American Football Homecoming Game
Kansas vs. Missouri
First homecoming football game, 1911
Kansas Jayhawks Missouri Tigers
(4–2–1) (2–4–1)
Head coach: 
Ralph W. Sherwin		 Head coach: 
Chester Brewer
DateNovember 25, 1911
Season1911
StadiumRollins Field
LocationColumbia, Missouri
Attendance10,000+[1]

The 1911 Kansas vs. Missouri football game was a college football game between the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri played on November 25, 1911[2] at Rollins Field in Columbia, Missouri.[3] It is widely considered, although contested, to be the first college football homecoming game ever played.[1][4][5][6]

The Missouri Tigers, under coach Chester Brewer entered the game with a record of 2 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie.[2] The Kansas Jayhawks, led by Ralph W. Sherwin brought a record of 4 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie.[7] The game ended in a 3–3 tie and was the final game of the season for both schools.[8]

More than 1,000 people gathered in downtown Lawrence, Kansas to watch a mechanical reproduction of the game while it was being played. A Western Union telegraph wire was set up direct from Columbia, with information "broadcast" to Lawrence. A group of people then would announce the results of the previous play and used a large model of a football playing field to show the results. Those in attendance would cheer as though they were watching the game live, including the school's Rock Chalk, Jayhawk cheer.[3]

  1. ^ a b "The History of Homecoming". Active.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  2. ^ a b DeLassus, David. "Coaching Records: Game-by-game (Chester L. Brewer, 1911)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "100 years ago: Football fans enjoy mechanized reproduction of KU-MU game". Lawrence Journal-World. November 27, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  4. ^ "U celebrates Homecoming Week 2004 : UMNews : University of Minnesota". .umn.edu. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  5. ^ Chrös Mcdougall And Blaine Grider. "Tradition's beginnings mysterious". Columbia Missourian. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  6. ^ Eric J Eckert (September 23, 2011). "Vincent's Views". York News-Times. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  7. ^ DeLassus, David. "Coaching Records: Game-by-game (Ralph Sherwin, 1911)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  8. ^ Shaffer, Ian. "Kansas 3 vs Missouri 3". College Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2011.