Tennessee Vols: Five previous events that cancelled or postponed athletics

1. 1898-99

Spanish American War

Football and baseball seasons cancelled

Yes, we can trace the cancellation of Tennessee Vols seasons all the way back to before the turn of the 20th century. At the time, football and baseball were the only notable sports on Rocky Top, and both took a hit here.

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William McKinley had launched the now controversial Spanish-American War. At the time, baseball had just begun in 1897, and UT ended up going 6-9-1 that year. But there were no games recorded in 1898 and 1899. Things returned in 1900 with the program going 6-5 on the season and then ushering in the program.

Football was a bigger story. UT began play in 1891, but after three straight losing seasons, the varsity program suspended play in 1894. The Lost Years of 1894 and 1895 generated enough momentum for the program to return in 1896, and they went 4-0 that year, their first of what have been four perfect seasons in school history.

After going 4-1 in 1897, the program was on the rise. However, the 1898 season was then cancelled due to the war. One year later, though, the program really hit its stride. As play resumed after the war in 1899, Tennessee football played with its first official ever head coach, J.A. Pierce. And they went 6-2 and 2-1 in the SIAA that season.

There would be some rocky years until Robert Neyland arrived, especially in the 1900s, but the Spanish American War was a dividing year between a program on the rise and a program taking new steps to be legitimate. It was also the first time the Tennessee Vols had a season cancelled due to an event.