1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season

1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season
League	NCAA
Sport	College football
Duration	October 2, 1897 through January 8, 1898
Number of teams	17
Regular Season
Season champions	Vanderbilt

1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Vanderbilt $	3	–	0	–	0			6	–	0	–	1
Georgia	2	–	0	–	0			2	–	1	–	0
Auburn	2	–	0	–	1			2	–	0	–	1
Tennessee	1	–	0	–	0			4	–	1	–	0
Central (KY)	1	–	1	–	0			1	–	2	–	0
Nashville	1	–	1	–	0			1	–	1	–	0
Alabama	0	–	0	–	0			1	–	0	–	0
Texas	0	–	0	–	0			6	–	2	–	0
LSU	0	–	0	–	0			1	–	1	–	0
Sewanee	1	–	2	–	1			1	–	3	–	1
Clemson	0	–	1	–	0			2	–	2	–	0
Mercer	0	–	1	–	0			0	–	2	–	1
Cumberland (TN)	0	–	1	–	0			0	–	1	–	0
Kentucky State College	0	–	2	–	0			2	–	4	–	0
SW Presbyterian	0	–	0	–	0			0	–	0	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season began on October 2. Conference play began on October 9 with Georgia shutting out Clemson 24–0 in Athens.

After the Sewanee game, Coach R. G. Acton's Vanderbilt Commodores claimed the program's first ever conference title. This was followed by a challenge met by the other southern team to claim a championship, South Atlantic school Virginia; which claims seven prior championships of the South. The game ended a 0–0 tie. Said Coach Acton, "It was the best game ever played in the South."

The 1897 season was one in which a member school, Tulane University, was barred from intercollegiate football participation by SIAA President, Dr. Dudley. This was part of a sanction handed down in response to a game the previous season in which Tulane was forced to forfeit for having fielded an ineligible player.

The season was also notable for the game Virginia played against Georgia, featuring the death of Richard Von Albade Gammon.

Regular season

Index to colors and formatting
Non-conference matchup; SIAA member won
Non-conference matchup; SIAA member lost
Non-conference matchup; tie
Conference matchup

SIAA teams in bold.

Week One

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
October 2	Kentucky University	Kentucky State	Lexington, KY	W 8–6
October 2	North Carolina A&M	North Carolina	Chapel Hill, NC	W 18–0

Week Two

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
October 9	Kentucky University	Vanderbilt	Dudley Field • Nashville, TN	W 22–0
October 9	Guilford	North Carolina	Chapel Hill, NC	W 16–0
October 9	Clemson	Georgia	Herty Field • Athens, GA	UGA 24–0
October 11	Kentucky State	Kentucky Wesleyan	Owensboro, KY	L 4–0
October 15	King	Tennessee	15th and Cumberland Field • Knoxville, TN	W 28–0

Week Three

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
October 16	Sewanee	Nashville	Nashville, TN	NASH 6–5
October 18	Central	Sewanee	McGee Field • Sewanee, TN	SEW 4–0
October 22	Greensboro A. A.	North Carolina	Chapel Hill, NC	W 24–0

Week Four

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
October 23	San Antonio	Texas	Clark Field • Austin, TX	W 10–0
October 23	Georgia Tech	Georgia	Herty Field • Athens, GA	UGA 24–0
October 23	Auburn	Mercer	Macon, GA	AUB 26–0
October 23	Cumberland	Tennessee	15th and Cumberland Field • Knoxville, TN	TENN 6–0
October 23	Georgetown (KY)	Kentucky State	Lexington, KY	W 20–4
October 23	Clemson	Charlotte YMCA	Charlotte, NC	W 10–0
October 23	VMI	Vanderbilt	Dudley Field • Nashville, TN	W 12–0
October 25	Clemson	North Carolina	Chapel Hill, NC	UNC 28–0
October 29	Auburn	Nashville	Nashville, TN	AUB 14–4

Week Five

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
October 30	Auburn	Sewanee	McGee Field • Sewanee, TN	T 0–0
October 30	Virginia	Georgia	Piedmont Park • Atlanta, GA	L 17–4
October 30	North Carolina	Virginia Tech	Danville, VA	L 4–0
October 30	Vanderbilt	Kentucky State	Stoll Field • Lexington, KY	VAN 50–0
October 30	Texas	Dallas	Dallas, TX	L 18–4
November 1	Texas	Fort Worth	Fort Worth, TX	L 6–0
November 3	Texas	TCU	Waco, TX	W 18–10

Week Six

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
November 5	North Carolina	Sewanee	McGee Field • Sewanee, TN	UNC 12–6
November 6	North Carolina	Vanderbilt	Dudley Field • Nashville, TN	VAN 31–0
November 6	Central	Kentucky State	Lexington, KY	CENT 18–0
November 8	North Carolina	Tennessee	15th and Cumberland Field • Knoxville, TN	UNC 16–0
November 9	North Carolina	Bingham	Asheville, NC	W 14–0
November 10	Clemson	South Carolina	Columbia, SC	W 18–6

Week Seven

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
November 13	Tuscaloosa A. C.	Alabama	The Quad • Tuscaloosa, AL	W 6–0
November 13	Houston Town Team	Texas	Clark Field • Austin, TX	W 42–6

Week Eight

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
November 20	Texas	San Antonio	San Antonio, TX	W 12–0
November 22	North Carolina	Virginia	Richmond, VA	L 12–0
November 25	Fort Worth	Texas	Clark Field • Austin, TX	W 38–0
November 25	Centre	Kentucky State	Lexington, KY	L 36–0
November 25	Sewanee	Vanderbilt	Dudley Field • Nashville, TN	VAN 10–0
November 25	Virginia Tech	Tennessee	15th and Cumberland Field • Knoxville, TN	W 18–0

Week Nine

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
November 26	Tennessee	Bristol A. C.	Bristol, TN	W 12–0

Week Ten

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
December 7	Virginia	Vanderbilt	Dudley Field • Nashville, TN	T 0–0	2,400

Week Eleven

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
December 11	Dallas	Texas	Clark Field • Austin, TX	W 20–16

Week Thirteen

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
December 20	Montgomery A. C.	LSU	State Field • Baton Rouge, LA	W 28–6

Week Sixteen

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Reference
January 8	Cincinnati	LSU	State Field • Baton Rouge, LA	L 26–0