1963 Bucknell Bison football team

1963 Bucknell Bison football
ConferenceMiddle Atlantic Conference
DivisionUniversity Division
Record6–3 (3–1 MAC)
Head coach
Captains
  • Thomas Boyd
  • William Swineford
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1962
1964 →
1963 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
University Division
No. 2 Delaware x 4 0 0 8 0 0
Bucknell 3 1 0 6 3 0
Gettysburg 2 2 0 5 4 0
Temple 1 2 0 5 3 1
Lehigh 1 3 0 1 8 0
Lafayette 1 4 0 1 8 0
Northern College Division
Upsala x 4 1 0 6 2 0
Wagner 4 1 0 6 3 0
Albright 2 3 0 3 5 0
Moravian 2 4 0 2 4 0
Wilkes 2 5 0 3 5 0
Lycoming 1 5 0 1 7 0
Juniata * 3 1 0 5 3 0
Susquehanna * 2 1 0 8 1 0
Hofstra * 0 0 0 3 6 0
Southern College Division
Western Maryland x 4 0 0 6 1 1
Muhlenberg 4 1 0 5 3 0
Dickinson 5 2 0 5 2 0
Swarthmore 4 2 0 4 3 0
Drexel 3 2 0 5 3 0
Lebanon Valley 4 3 0 4 3 0
Pennsylvania Military 3 5 0 3 6 0
Ursinus 2 4 1 2 4 1
Haverford 2 4 0 2 5 0
Franklin & Marshall 1 4 0 1 6 0
Johns Hopkins 0 4 1 0 6 1
West Chester * 0 0 0 7 1 0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * – Ineligible for championship due to insufficient conference games
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1963 Bucknell Bison football team was an American football team that represented Bucknell University during the 1963 NCAA College Division football season. Bucknell finished second in the University Division of the Middle Atlantic Conference.

In its sixth season under head coach Bob Odell, the team compiled a 6–3 record.[1] Thomas Boyd and William Swineford were the team captains.[2]

Bucknell's 3–1 record against division opponents seemingly set the stage for a thrilling season-ender against undefeated Delaware, with a share of the conference championship at stake. The season ended prematurely, however, with the assassination of John F. Kennedy the day before kickoff. Initially, Bucknell announced the game would be played, but late on Friday night – after most other conferences and colleges had decided to cancel their games, but too late to catch the Blue Hens before they arrived in Western Pennsylvania – they reversed that decision. Bucknell offered Delaware the option to make up the game after Thanksgiving, but Delaware coach Dave Nelson declined, saying waiting that long, and playing a football game with a national tragedy so fresh in everyone's memory, would be "anticlimactic".[3]

Bucknell played its home games at Memorial Stadium on the university campus in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

  1. ^ "Year-by-Year Results". 2019 Bucknell Football Media Guide. Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University. p. 138. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "Captains". 2019 Bucknell Football Media Guide. Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University. p. 121. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Bodley, Hal (November 23, 1963). "Hens, Bucknell Respect Kennedy". Evening Journal. Wilmington, Del. – via Newspapers.com.