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User:Murphanian777/Interhall football: The Leather Age Collapse (1936-1939)

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This is the fourth era of interhall football at the University of Notre Dame. It first dark age began with the onset of interhall touch football to the University and ended with the last year before tackle football returned in the 1940s. The second dark age was composed of the last two years of World War II, when no intramural football games of any kind were played (although the varsity reserves were still functioning, so NDNV activity persevered). Alternate names include: The Ice Age. -The ____ Age Collapse: like the Bronze Age Collapse. This is perfect. After a blessed period of interhall prosperity, in the blink of an eye all intramural tackle football at Notre Dame was gone, and I still don't know why. Incorporating the Gold and Platinum Coasts would be cool too.

The catalyst of the Leather Age Collapse was the death of Richard "Dick" Sullivan after a neck injury suffered in an interhall football game (Freshman v. St. Edward's) on November 17, 1935. His passing at St. Joseph's Hospital a week later culminated in a full-scale investigation into the practices of interhall athletics led by head coach Elmer Layden. In the following 1936 season a number of reforms and restrictions were instituted, including safer league rules, team sizes and eligibility requirements. Many students disapproved of the new regulations and it is unclear if any games were played that season. By 1937 the protests by prospective players forced the IFL to go on hiatus for three years, and in its place sprung up the first touch football and later interclass football leagues, the former of which would become a regular attraction at Notre Dame until the present day. Other distinctions which made the collapse an important event was the drop-off of overall talent and the harsh decline of players who made the jump from interhall to the varsity team. By 1940 the interhall football league was no longer recognized as a junior or freshmen league for the future stars of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Other Eras

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Other pages

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Other teams
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1936

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Interhall tackle football

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Elvin R. Handy, a member of the department of physical education, supervised interhall football during the 1936 season. The head of the physical education department imposed a new set of strict rules to govern interhall football after the death of Richard Sullivan during an interhall game the previous year. Some of these were that a team must have 22 players, and at least 18 ready to play on the field before each contest. Additionally, each player must undergo a physical examination between games and appear at practice three times a week.[1]

The interhall season was shown very little interest just two days before it was scheduled to begin. By October 9th only one team, Off-Campus, had enough men to play, and only five uniforms had been issued.[2] By the next week the opening had been delayed until October 18 and four teams had organized and gathered enough men to meet the new minimums, Howard, Off-Campus, Sorin, and Walsh.[3] The season was eventually ready to begin on October 25 with six teams, the lowest membership in the league since 1919. Reasons for the disinterest vary, but the strongest accounts cite the new regulations and the emergence of interhall touch football, soccer, and speedball as the most influential factors.[4]

After October 23, there were no mentions of games played or scheduled. This absence in coverage in any known University publications during the year indicates that the interhall football season was almost certainly cancelled due to a lack of available teams and overall interest. It was the first time no interhall football games had been played since the 1891/1892 season.

Date Team 1 Score Team 2 Score Location Notes Source
October 25 Freshman unknown Off-Campus unknown Cartier Oval [4]
October 25 Cavanaugh unknown St. Edward's unknown North Cartier Field [4]
October 25 Brownson unknown Morrissey unknown South Cartier Field [4]

Brownson Hall

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Brownson was supposed to have been coached by Galleta.[4]

Cavanaugh Hall

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Brownson was supposed to have been coached by Collins.[4]

Freshman Hall

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Brownson was supposed to have been coached by Strand.[4]

Morrissey Hall

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Brownson was supposed to have been coached by Conrad.[4]

Off-Campus team

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Brownson was supposed to have been coached by Jasinki.[4]

St. Edward's Hall

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Brownson was supposed to have been coached by Langton.[4]

All-Interhall

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As there were no known interhall football games during the 1936 season, no All-Interhall teams were selected.

Interhall touch football

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Touch football (also known as flash-ball[5]), after years of informal games, was made an official interhall sport by John A. Scannell for the 1936 season. Rules included a twenty-five-yard penalty if a player "leaves their feet" when attempting to touch someone, a player was considered tackled when someone touches them with two hands, tackling was considered a twenty-five-yard penalty, and quarters were shortened from fifteen to ten minutes.[4] However, after many delays, no mention was made of any scores or games of any kind, almost guaranteeing that the season had been cancelled.

Date Team 1 Score Team 2 Score Location Notes Source
October 25 Alumni unknown Badin unknown Cartier Oval [4]
October 25 Cavanaugh unknown Dillon unknown North Cartier Field [4]
October 25 Brownson unknown Howard unknown South Cartier Field [4]



1937

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Interhall touch football

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Interhall touch was introduced again under John Scannell along with the continuation of interhall soccer, taking the place of interhall tackle football as the main intramural sports spectacle on campus. Some new rules were introduced to the touch league, including 20-yard first-downs, a standard of nine men per team on the field, and that any man would be eligible for a forward pass. Penalties were given for leaving the ground when recovering a fumbles or touching an opponent.[6] After two weeks of pre-season practice, the touch football season began with a single game between Badin and Freshman halls, the rest being postponed or cancelled due to the snow, rain, and the weekly football cotillion. After the first week, Mr. Scannell decided to reorganize the format of the touch league from a divisional round-robin to a more traditional, elimination-style tournament.[7] However, the tournament was postponed because of various student trips to Minneapolis and Chicago.[8] "Touch-ball" as it was called, continued to sag as the first round was postponed another three times, first because of an influx of visitors to the University for the Notre Dame-Pitt game, and the next two weeks due to snowy weather.[9][10]By December 10, all outdoor interhall activities had been officially cancelled, putting an end to any attempts to play football. The 1937 season ended with only a single regular season game being played, and even that may not have been considered a regulation game due to a shift in the league tournament.[11]

Date Team 1 Score Team 2 Score Location Notes Source
Pre-season
October 10 Freshman Zahm Cartier Field [note 1] [6][12]
October 10 Brownson unknown Cavanaugh unknown Cartier Field [note 2] [6][12]
October 10 Carroll unknown St. Edward's unknown Cartier Field [note 3] [6][12]
October 10 Badin unknown Old Infirmary unknown Cartier Field [note 4] [6][12]
October 10 Morrissey unknown Sorin unknown Brownson field [note 5] [6][12]
October 11 Howard unknown Walsh unknown Brownson field [note 6] [6][12]
October 12 Alumni unknown Lyons unknown Brownson field [note 7] [6][12]
October 17 Carroll 0 Freshman 12 Cartier Field [12][13]
October 17 Badin 6 Cavanaugh 0 Cartier Field [12][13]
October 17 Brownson 18 St. Edward's 6 Cartier Field [12][13]
October 17 Alumni cancelled Sorin cancelled Cartier Field [12]
October 17 Dillon cancelled Walsh cancelled Cartier Field [12]
October 18 Lyons cancelled Morrissey cancelled Brownson field [12]
October 19 Howard cancelled Zahm cancelled Brownson field [12]
Group one
October 24 Howard cancelled Morrissey cancelled Cartier Field [13][7]
October 24 St. Edward's cancelled Walsh cancelled Cartier Field [13]
October 24 Alumni cancelled Sorin cancelled Cartier Field [13]
October 24 Dillon cancelled Lyons cancelled Brownson field [13]
Group two
October 24 Badin 6 Freshman 2 Cartier Field [note 8] [13]
October 24 Brownson cancelled Old Infirmary cancelled Cartier Field [13]
October 24 Cavanaugh cancelled Off-Campus cancelled Cartier Field [13]
October 24 Carroll cancelled Zahm cancelled Brownson field [13]
First Round
October 31 Howard cancelled Morrissey cancelled Cartier Field [7]
October 31 St. Edward's cancelled Walsh cancelled Cartier Field [7]
October 31 Alumni cancelled Sorin cancelled Cartier Field [7]
October 31 Dillon cancelled Lyons cancelled Brownson field [7]
Second Round
November 1 Badin cancelled [note 9] [7]
November 1 Cavanaugh cancelled [note 10] [7]
November 1 Brownson cancelled [note 11] [7]
November 1 Carroll cancelled [note 12] [7]

Badin Hall

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Badin, like any of the other halls, only fielded a touch-football team during the 1937 season. They participated in the only recorded regular-season game, and defeated the favored-Freshman hallers 6 to 2. Therefore, they have the best claim to be 1937 interhall touch football champions. The last time that only a single interhall football game had been played during a whole season was in 1918 during the University's involvement in the war effort. Coincidentally, Badin was one of the two teams that played in that singular game, losing 12–0 to Walsh hall.



1938

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Interhall touch football

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Touch football continued to serve as the only interhall version of football during the 1938 season. It was colloquially known as the Pass-Football League.[14] Many of the freshmen residence halls fielded two football teams during the season, distinguished as the golds or blues.

Date Team 1 Score Team 2 Score Notes Source
Pre-season
Before September 30 Brownson 12 Zahm 0 [note 13] [15]
Before October 7 Brownson blues 24 Freshman blues 0 [16]
Before October 7 Brownson golds 0 Zahm golds 14 [16]
Before October 7 Cavanaugh 17 Zahm blues 7 [16]
Regular season
Before October 14 Freshman blues 0 Zahm blues 6 [17]
Before October 14 Freshman golds 7 Zahm golds 13 [17]
Before October 14 Brownson 7 Cavanaugh 0 [18] [17]
Before October 21 Brownson blues 12 Zahm blues 13 [14]
Before October 21 Brownson golds forfeit Zahm golds forfeit [14]
Before October 21 Cavanaugh blues 0 Freshman 12 [14]
Semi-finals
October 23 Cavanaugh 0 Zahm 12 [note 14] [19]
October 23 Zahm blues 12 Zahm golds 6 [note 15] [19]
October 23 Brownson 2 Freshman 6 [19]
Championship
October 27 Freshman 0 Zahm blues 6 [19][20]

Zahm Hall

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Zahm fielded two interhall football teams during the 1938 season, the blues and the golds. The golds finished with a 2–1 record, the combined blue and gold team defeated Cavanaugh in the semi-finals, and the Zahm blues compiled a 4–0 record and became the 1938 interhall touch football champions.[20]



1939

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Interhall touch football

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Touch football, as well as every other interhall sport during the fall season, were originally cancelled by the Student Activities Council in late September. A lack of equipment was cited as the leading reason for the cancellation.[21]

Interclass football

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Overdue equipment finally arrived at the University in late November, including 210 new uniforms and 150 helmets. This prompted the S.A.C. to devise a short schedule for an intramural fall football season. Instead of creating a tournament between the various residence halls, the committee decided to form an interclass football tournament, with a freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior team.[22] An article that explained the re-introduction of intramural football confirmed that the last few seasons had been tumultuous because of injuries that occurred during the fateful 1935 season, likely in reference to the death of Richard Sullivan. Only men that were 150 pounds or less were permitted to participate in the interclass season, effectively barring any varsity members from adding unfair talent to the intramural season and allowing "lightweights" to get a chance to play football at Notre Dame. The league purposely mirrored the lightweight football teams that had sprung up in some eastern colleges, a type of distinction that would eventually become known as Sprint football.[23] To avoid any confusion in the next season, the S. A. C. announced that interhall football would return in it's traditional format.

Date Team 1 Score Team 2 Score Location Notes Source
Semi-finals
December 3 Freshmen 0 Sophomores 0 Cartier Field [22][23]
December 3 Juniors 0? Seniors 0? Cartier Field [22][23]
Before December 8 Freshmen 6 Sophomores 0 [23]
Before December 8 Juniors Seniors [23]
Interclass championship
December 8 Freshmen 0 Juniors 13 Cartier Field [22][23]

Interclass Freshmen

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A team representing the freshmen class competed in a short inter-class lightweight football league during the 1939 season. Under coaches Joe DeFranco, Joe Thesing and Thad Harvey, the frosh compiled a 1–1–1 record and lost to the juniors in the interclass championship.[23]

Sophomores

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A team representing the sophomore class competed in a short inter-class lightweight football league during the 1939 season. Under coaches Wally Borer and Mike Corgan, the sophomores compiled a 0–1–1 record.[23]

Juniors

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A team representing the junior class competed in a short inter-class lightweight football league during the 1939 season. Under coach Frank "Boody" Albert, the juniors compiled a 2–0–1 record, defeating the freshmen to become 1939 interclass champions. The juniors were awarded twenty-five medals, twenty-four of which were bestowed upon the players and one for their coach.[23]

Seniors

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A team representing the senior class competed in a short inter-class lightweight football league during the 1939 season. Under coaches Alan Mooney and Bob Sullivan, the seniors compiled a 0–1–1 record.[23]



Notes

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  1. ^ This game probably occurred and Freshman almost certainly won, but the score is unknown. It may have been played on Founder's Day, October 13.
  2. ^ This game probably occurred but the score is unknown. It may have been played on Founder's Day, October 13.
  3. ^ This game probably occurred but the score is unknown. It may have been played on Founder's Day, October 13.
  4. ^ This game probably occurred but the score is unknown. It may have been played on Founder's Day, October 13.
  5. ^ This game probably occurred but the score is unknown. It may have been played on Founder's Day, October 13.
  6. ^ This game probably occurred but the score is unknown. It may have been played on Founder's Day, October 13.
  7. ^ This game probably occurred but the score is unknown. It may have been played on Founder's Day, October 13.
  8. ^ This was the only interhall touch football game to be played in the regular season. Therefore, Badin hall holds the best claim as the interhall touch champion.
  9. ^ Badin was supposed to play the winner of the Howard-Morrissey game.
  10. ^ Cavanaugh was supposed to play the winner of the St. Edward's-Walsh game.
  11. ^ Brownson was supposed to play the winner of the Alumni-Sorin game.
  12. ^ Carroll was supposed to play the winner of the Dillon-Lyons game.
  13. ^ This was unscheduled and likely informal.
  14. ^ This Zahm team was composed of the blues and the golds.
  15. ^ Playoff among the Zahm teams to decide who would star in the interhall touch championship.

References

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  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference V70I2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Interhall Football Gets Under Way" (PDF). The Scholastic. October 9, 1936. p. 20.
  3. ^ "Five Teams Respond to Coaches' Call for Interhall" (PDF). The Scholastic. October 16, 1936. p. 15.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Interhall Football Will Start Sunday; Touch Football Will be Played Also Under Phys. Ed. Rules" (PDF). The Scholastic. October 23, 1936. p. 17, 20.
  5. ^ "Interhall Football" (PDF). The Scholastic. November 20, 1936. p. 15.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "New Interhall Plan To Be Inaugurated" (PDF). The Scholastic. October 8, 1937. p. 14.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Touch Football gets Off to a Slow Start, One Game Played in Poor Weather" (PDF). The Scholastic. October 29, 1937. p. 17.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference V71I7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Hall Soccer Grows, Touchball Lags" (PDF). The Scholastic. November 19, 1937. p. 14, 18.
  10. ^ "Release Plans for Hall Cage League" (PDF). The Scholastic. November 26, 1937. p. 14.
  11. ^ "Interhallers Start Practicing" (PDF). The Scholastic. December 10, 1937. p. 14.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Interhallers begin Touch Football" (PDF). The Scholastic. October 15, 1937. p. 14-15.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Tap Grid Schedule Starts This Week" (PDF). The Scholastic. October 22, 1937. p. 14, 16.
  14. ^ a b c d "Interhall Leagues Close" (PDF). The Scholastic. October 21, 1937. p. 13-14.
  15. ^ "Interhallers Start" (PDF). The Scholastic. September 30, 1937. p. 15-17.
  16. ^ a b c "Frosh Looks Strong in Hall League" (PDF). The Scholastic. October 7, 1937. p. 13.
  17. ^ a b c "Eight Teams Open Interhall Play" (PDF). The Scholastic. October 14, 1937. p. 13, 15.
  18. ^ It's unclear whether Cavanaugh and Brownson had split into a blue or gold team.
  19. ^ a b c d "Freshman, Zahm To Meet In Finals" (PDF). The Scholastic. October 28, 1937. p. 14.
  20. ^ a b "The Week In Sports" (PDF). The Scholastic. November, 1937. p. 14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ "Interhall Athletics" (PDF). The Scholastic. September 29, 1939. p. 15.
  22. ^ a b c d "Intramural Football Semi-finals Sunday" (PDF). The Scholastic. December 1, 1939. p. 14-15.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Juniors Down Seniors, Frosh, To Capture Crown" (PDF). The Scholastic. December 15, 1939. p. 12-13.
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