Southwestern University Football: A Legacy of Resilience and Revival
Southwestern University, the oldest institution of higher learning in Texas, boasts a rich and storied history, with its football program playing a significant role in shaping the university's identity. Established in 1840, Southwestern has witnessed the ebb and flow of athletic success, marked by periods of triumph, challenges, and ultimately, resurgence. The Southwestern Pirates football team represents Southwestern University in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) intercollegiate football competition.
Early Years and Conference Affiliations
Records indicate that football was played at Southwestern University as early as 1895, but the school's first officially recognized team was not formed until 1908. In 1908, Southwestern became a charter member of the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA) along with Austin College and Trinity, marking the official beginning of its intercollegiate football program. The university further solidified its athletic presence by becoming a charter member of the Southwest Conference in 1914, joining a league of prominent Texas institutions.
However, Southwestern's tenure in the Southwest Conference was short-lived, as they departed prior to the 1918 season. Despite this, the Pirates continued to compete within the TIAA until 1925. The departure of Rice University caused the TIAA to split. SU had relative success in the conference, winning two conference championships, one in baseball (1918) and one in football (1925). In 1926-27 Southwestern left the TIAA to join the Texas Conference, starting that first year off on a high note with a 1927 conference championship in football and track & field.
The Rise of a Football Powerhouse during WWII
Prior to the 1940s, Southwestern was considered a "small time" football program, and only received national media attention about once yearly, whenever it faced a major college team. The Second World War era marked a turning point for Southwestern football. The university's sponsorship of a V-12 Navy College Training Program, secured through the efforts of then-Texas Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson, transformed the Pirates into a formidable football power.
During the 1943 season, Southwestern achieved unprecedented success, climbing as high as eleventh in the nation in the Associated Press Poll. The Pirates lost only one game during the season and capped off their remarkable campaign with a 7-0 victory over New Mexico in the Sun Bowl.
Read also: GSW Tuition and Fees Explained
The Sun Bowl extended an invitation to Southwestern to return after the 1944 season to face the National University of Mexico, further solidifying the program's national recognition. While in the Texas Conference, Southwestern had the first football team to win back-to-back Sun Bowl Championships. SU defeated the University of New Mexico 7-0 in 1944 and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) (National Autonomous University of Mexico) from Mexico City 35-0 in 1945.
Transition and Program Disbandment
Following the completion of World War II, Southwestern transitioned to a small liberal arts institution by dropping post-graduate degrees. It was also during the Texas Conference years that Southwestern disbanded the football program. The university shifted its focus towards a broader range of academic disciplines and extracurricular activities. The Pirates became a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III school for the 1992-1993 academic year, going from six sports to 12 by adding men’s and women’s soccer, women’s golf and track & field and reviving the women’s tennis and men’s track & field teams. SU joined the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1993 and competed within the conference beginning in the fall of 1994. Southwestern’s athletic department continued to grow by adding men’s and women’s swimming & diving in 1998 and softball in 2008 with their first year of competition being in the spring of 2009.
Reinstatement of the Football Program
After a hiatus of several decades, the Southwestern University board of trustees voted to reinstate the university's football program on October 28, 2011, marking a new chapter in the institution's athletic history. The reinstatement was made possible by $6 million in gifts. $5 million was pledged by Joe Seeber, a 1963 Southwestern graduate. However, Seeber later withdrew his pledge. The other $1 million was donated by Red McCombs, who attended Southwestern and played football. “As the oldest university in Texas, we realize the importance many people place on football,” said university president Jake B. Schrum. “There are many bright young men who want to play football in college who find NCAA Division III appealing.
On February 27, 2012 Joe Austin was hired as the new head football coach at Southwestern. Austin came to Southwestern from Hanover College where he was the head coach for the 2008 through 2011 seasons. During that time Austin rebuilt a program that had suffered four consecutive losing seasons prior to his arrival. In just Austin's third season Hanover posted a 7-3 (6-2 Heartland Collegiate Conference) record while finishing second in the league. Austin's team finished second again in his fourth and final season of 2011.
Recent Success and Conference Championships
In just their fourth season of play the Pirates posted a 6-0 record in claiming the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship. In 2016, the final year that the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference sponsored football, the Pirates posted a perfect 6-0 record in becoming undefeated conference champions. The football program competed in the American Southwest Conference as an affiliate member from 2017 to 2023.
Read also: Comprehensive Transcript Guide
The Legacy of Kurth-Landrum Golf Course
Once a center for sports and recreation from the 1950’s to the early 2010’s named after a controversial figure in the University's history, the site still has material and spatial reminders of its past. Situated at the eastern extremity of Southwestern University's campus, where the current soccer fields, football fields, and track fields are now located, the Kurth-Landrum golf course was a prominent facility from its establishment in the mid-1950’s until its closure in November 2011.
Created through the benefaction of alumni Ernest L. Kurth (Class of 1905) and Neely G. Landrum (Class of 1912), the course initially only bore the name of Kurth and underwent construction, completed in 1955. Ernest L. Kurth’s name has been scattered throughout the built environment of Southwestern for years. Neely G. Landrum’s name is connected to this site and the fountain on the South side of campus. During the process of developing the golf course, the University community played participatory roles, assisting in clearing the area around several of the course's eventual nine holes.
Upon its completion in the 1955-1956 academic year, the Kurth golf course served as a multifunctional facility. It was used recreationally by students, faculty, and staff as well as members of the Georgetown community, acted as a practice ground for Southwestern’s golf team, and hosted various events including intramural tournaments, intercollegiate competitions, and other conferences. In 1962, after the Turner-Fleming President’s House was built, the President’s House overlooked the golf course.
Beyond its primary use, the golf course also functioned as a venue for cross-country runs from the 1970’s onward. Its suitability for such events was noted in a 1980 Megaphone article, which stated the course had become a preferred location for cross-country events in the Southwest, with UIL and district NCAA races routinely held there. Cross-country meets are still held there today. Facilities on the course included a pro shop and golf carts for university VIPs, as documented in a 1968 Megaphone article. Town visitors to the university, outside of the student and faculty members, were also known to use the course.
By spring 1983, the existence of the course was put into question due to escalating maintenance costs and the need to reallocate funding towards the expansion of the Cody Memorial Library. Students campaigned for the course's preservation and the university subsequently sought alternative funding to ensure its survival. If you walk on the far eastern edge of campus, you can still see remains of the golf course today. The most obvious relic is a shaded bench close to the I.O.O.F Cemetery, but more subtle signs remain, including the old pathways and places where it is clear there used to be artificially flattened greens and hazards carved into the landscape. The old golf course pro shop has survived, as it was converted into the Howry Center and the tennis team locker rooms in the 2010s. The old practice putting green is now a labyrinth. To this day, there is still a golf ball embedded in the wall of the old pro shop. The Kurth-Landrum golf course was a significant part of Southwestern University's history. Despite its closure in 2011, the course left an indelible mark on the university's legacy of sports and outdoor activities.
Read also: Georgia Southwestern State University Alumni
tags: #Southwestern #University #Georgetown #football #history
