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Tennessee Vols: Five previous events that cancelled or postponed athletics

By Caleb Calhoun

01 Dec 2001: Rex Grossman #8 of Florida throws the ball during the Florida-Tennessee game at Florida Field at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Tennessee won 34-32. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons/ALLSPORT
01 Dec 2001: Rex Grossman #8 of Florida throws the ball during the Florida-Tennessee game at Florida Field at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Tennessee won 34-32. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons/ALLSPORT /
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Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images
Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images /

3. 1943-1944

World War II

Entire sports season cancelled

Yes, this is how rare cancellations are. The last time one of the major Tennessee Vols sports had anything cancelled was the 1943-1944 athletics year. By the way, Gen. Robert Neyland was called to service for his second stint after the 1940 season, Pearl Harbor happened in the 1941 season, and the 1942-43 athletic year still went on. They just couldn’t avoid 1943-44.

At the time, UT was rolling as a football program. They had won three straight SEC Championships and two national championships from 1938-40 under Neyland, and they didn’t really miss a beat under John Barnhill. After all, they were 8-2 in 1941 and 9-1-1 in 1942, going to the Sugar Bowl in 1942 and finishing the season ranked No. 7.

When things were cancelled in 1943-44, Rocky Top was really only known for football. John Mauer coached the Tennessee basketball and Tennessee baseball teams at the time, and neither fielded a team during this academic year. In fact, baseball didn’t field a team again until 1947, but that was more irrelevant of a sport, so the big deal were football and basketball seasons being cancelled.

After play resumed in 1944, UT didn’t miss a beat. Barnhill went 7-1-1 and made the Rose Bowl in 1944, and he went 8-1 in 1945. Neyland then returned in 1946 and would capture two more SEC Championships and two more national championships before retiring for good at the end of the 1952 season.

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