Photograph by Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center
Every Thanksgiving weekend Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia clash on the gridiron to resolve yet another battle in the 124-year-old rivalry described by author Bill Cromartie as “clean, old-fashioned hate.” Weeks before the 1893 inaugural football game between “the Athens” and “the Techs” (neither side had adopted a mascot or nickname yet), the latter’s manager was already combating rumors that he was fielding ineligible players. Both schools’ chants hope their rival winds up in hell. According to the closest thing we have to an official tally—UGA refuses to acknowledge two losses during World War II, when most of its players were in combat—the Bulldogs lead the rivalry 65-41-5.
This article originally appeared in our November 2017 issue.
