Background
Despite being from a small Episcopal university in the mountains of Tennessee, the team came to dominate the football in the region during the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Reasons for their success include being one of the first teams in the region and the school session running through the summer with a long winter break, giving the team more practice compared to their opponents.
There is little evidence today at Sewanee of the team's former success. The school does not have a large stadium and is part of the NCAA Division III, which offers players no athletic scholarships. Although Sewanee was a charter member of the NCAA's Southeastern Conference when it was formed in 1932, they never won a game and withdrew in 1940. Like some other football powers of yore such as the University of Chicago, Sewanee today emphasizes scholarship over athletics.
Read more about this topic: 1899 Sewanee Tigers Football Team
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