At a school that prides itself on its rich history, the College's annual Homecoming football game has become one of its most celebrated traditions. The game is an outlet for students looking to show rabid school spirit, alumni yearning to relive their college experiences and freshmen wanting to make a big impression by rushing the field without getting caught by Hanover Police.
The Big Green will play Columbia Saturday at 1:30 p.m. following Dartmouth Night on Friday evening. During Dartmouth Night, athletes will make their way to the Green wearing their varsity letter jackets, and the seniors will be honored for their four years of commitment. After team captains address the crowd, the Freshman Sweep will begin, officially kicking off this year's Homecoming festivities.
For Dartmouth football head coach Buddy Teevens '79, the number of alumni that converge on campus is one of the greatest highlights of the weekend.
"To see classes from the '40s to the recent grads, that's essentially Dartmouth," Teevens said. "It's the blending of years but with common ties to their experiences as undergrads."
Teevens has been to many homecomings as both an undergraduate and a coach, but still finds it to be an exciting experience. He added that it is special to be able to come back as an older coach and see the weekend "through a different prism."
The Homecoming tradition at Dartmouth began on Sept. 20, 1895, when then-College President William Jewett Tucker decided he wanted to strengthen the relationship between the College and its alumni, according to Leon Richardson's book on the history of the College.
Football games did not become part of the Homecoming tradition until the early 1920s. Memorial Field was dedicated on the night of the 1923 Homecoming game, and Dartmouth officially began the tradition of having one football game each year dubbed a "Homecoming game" in 1936.
While the campus celebrations and football game remained separate entities for several years, during World War II all Homecoming events were condensed into one weekend of activity, a tradition that endures today, according to a book by David Shribman on the history of Dartmouth football.
There have been several exciting Homecoming football games in recent years. In 1996, the Big Green defeated the Yale Bulldogs to clinch the Ivy League championship. The following year, Harvard defeated Dartmouth 24-0 on its way to an Ivy League title.
Perhaps the most memorable of all recent Homecoming games took place in 2006, when an all-out brawl erupted on Memorial Field. The fight began during team handshakes following Holy Cross' 24-21 defeat of Dartmouth. The Crusaders began to dance on the giant "D" in the middle of the field, prompting some Big Green players, including several on crutches, to respond to what they deemed unsportsmanlike conduct and both benches cleared. There were no serious injuries reported by either team, and an investigation by the Hanover Police did not yield any arrests or citations. Dartmouth played Holy Cross again in 2008, this time losing to the Crusaders 44-26.
The Big Green has had more success against this season's Homecoming competitor, Columbia. Dartmouth posted Homecoming victories against the Lions in 1999, 2003 and 2007.
Teevens acknowledged that Homecoming is a big deal for his players, but he said he does not believe the event puts any more pressure on his players than what they already put on themselves.
"The team wants to show well and look their best at moments like this in front of the greatest amount of alums," Teevens said. "But I think you would obviously put pressure on yourself to perform at your best any time you're on the field."
The game this weekend will be College President Jim Yong Kim's first Homecoming football game.
"This year in particular will be a wonderful one because it will be President Kim's first opportunity to really get a sense of what Homecoming is and the impact it has on so many people," Teevens said.
Although football games were not always part of the College's Homecoming celebration, football itself has a storied history at the College. Reports of students playing football on the Green date back to the early 1820s. Pick-up games were held during the summer, usually with teams comprised of seniors and sophomores taking on the juniors and freshmen. As a result of the game's violent nature, the faculty banned these games in 1868. The game was reinstated a year later after students promised to tone down the brutality, according to Richardson's work.
Dartmouth began participating in intercollegiate football in 1881. The College played Amherst College twice that first year and posted a record of 1-0-1. After several years of mediocrity, the Big Green found its stride, finishing without a losing record every year between 1889 and 1944, according to Shribman's work.
Memorial Field was built in 1923 to accommodate the increasing number of fans the team began attracting. Two years later, during the 1925 season, Dartmouth finished with a perfect 8-0 record and won the national championship for the first and only time in its history. Although recent years have seen disappointing results for the Big Green, the team had perfect seasons in 1937, 1962, 1965, 1970 and 1996.
