Sports

College Football Game Played Without Electricity In The Stadium Turned Back The Clock To 1900s

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College Football Game No Electricity
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Saturday’s college football game between Gardner-Webb and Tennessee Tech was something of a throwback, even though it was not supposed to be that way. The contest was held without any electricity anywhere in the stadium at any point during the afternoon.

It was an unusual set of circumstances that forced both sides to make due.

Gardner-Webb is located in the small town of Boiling Springs, North Carolina— about an hour west of Charlotte and an hour southeast of Asheville. Much of the surrounding community is reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

The western part of the Old North State was hit hard by a historic storm over the past 72 hours. Flooding and heavy winds caused catastrophic destruction across the region that will take years to rebuild. App State was forced to cancel its home football game on Saturday because of the conditions.

Boiling Springs was very fortunate in comparison to other nearby cities and towns. However, it was not exempt from fallen trees and other flood damage.

As a result of Helene, Gardner-Webb University lost power on Friday and crews are still working to restore electricity. That created a unique predicament.

The Bulldogs were originally scheduled to host the Golden Eagles on Saturday night. A night game cannot be played without lights. Lights obviously cannot turn on without electricity.

To get ahead of any potential issues, both sides agreed to play the game on Saturday afternoon instead. Tennessee Tech sports information director Thomas Corhern set the scene.

With no power at Spangler Stadium, no network connections and spotty cell connections, the modern amenities of college football were non-existent, leaving both teams to play an old-school-style contest, lining each side’s 11 up and letting them go at it.

Gardner-Webb decided to forgo tickets in lieu of donations for relief efforts in North Carolina.

All of the standard athletic amenities, like training tables, were moved outside to take advantage of the light.

Time was kept on the field with a stop watch. Score was recorded the old-fashioned way. The chain gang was more important than ever.

There was no replay. Fans at home could not watch the game. Minimal updates were provided through social media whenever cellphone service allowed Corhern to post on X.

Anyone who wanted to know what was going on in real-time had to show up, and they did! The Bulldogs drew a decent-sized crowd, all things considered. The Golden Eagles also had a few supporters in the stands.

Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1879. The first-ever night college football game was played in 1892. Michigan Stadium installed the nation’s first electronic scoreboard in 1930.

Saturday’s game between Gardner-Webb and Tennessee Tech, although not on purpose, was a throwback to the early 1900s. We may not see another college football game played without electricity for quite some time, if ever. It should be appreciated for the anomaly it is!