re: I feel sorry for the Old SEC members

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Bama voted against it, Dodd immediately took Tech out of the SEC.

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So what happened to Georgia Tech and the SEC? What caused this massive falling out that would lead to a team leaving a conference that they had been a part of for 69 years. Georgia Tech is still listed as a founding member of the SEC.

This long and strange history, admittedly, could only happen in the South where football is king and could only happen because of a relationship between two men who are almost synonymous with the game of college football. Those two men? Paul "Bear" Bryant and Robert "Bobby" Dodd.

However, before we get to that relationship, perhaps it would be best to visit the history of Georgia Tech football, once one of the great powers of the college game. Led by coaches such as John Heisman ( you know, the guy who has a trophy named after him ) and then Bobby Dodd, the Yellow Jackets were always a prominent figure on the national scene. A program with four national championships to their credit ( more than Florida, Florida State, and a lot of other very prestigious programs, and the same amount as the Texas Longhorns ). Georgia Tech also has 5 SEC Championships, 3 Southern Conference Championships, and 5 SIAA Championships.

So what caused this very successful, very prestigious program to up and leave a conference that they were a founding member of? That story has it's roots deep in the history of Georgia Tech and Alabama and stretches back to a very personal rivalry between Alabama head coach Bear Bryant and Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Dodd.

Originally, these two men were great friends who got along both on and off the field. They reportedly had a lot of respect for each other. However, that all changed on a cloudy, overcast day in Birmingham at Legion Field in 1961. Late in the game, which Georgia Tech lost to Alabama 10-0, Darwin Holt, an Alabama player threw an elbow into the face of Georgia Tech running back Chick Granning. The blow was so hard across his face that his cheekbone was shattered and several teeth ripped out. A media uproar followed that could not even be quelled by the visit of the Alabama football player to the Atlanta hospital where the Georgia Tech player was recovering.

The media continued to call for punishment, including publishing frame by frame photos of the incident. Bear Bryant, stubborn as ever, was reported to have remarked that he would take care of his own player and discipline him appropriately. He made it clear that the Atlanta media was not going to tell him how to run his team. While there is some debate about whether the Alabama player was disciplined or not, Dodd and Bryant, who had once been great friends, stopped talking after that game. The following season ( 1962 ) the Jackets managed some degree of revenge against the Bear and 'Bama with a thrilling 7 - 6 win over an undefeated Tide team up to that point in the season. Chick Granning was an honored guest of the Jackets and sat on the Tech bench during the game. In 1963, a two-loss Tide team beat Tech 27 - 11. In June of 1964, Georgia Tech officially withdrew from the Southeastern Conference. The series between Alabama and Georgia Tech was discontinued after a 24 - 7 Tech loss to another undefeated Tide team on November 14, 1964. For all practical purposes, this closed out any long-term rivalry series between Georgia Tech and Alabama.

Bobby Dodd insisted there was no other reason he left the SEC, other than the 140 Rule. The 140 Rule stated a college program could only have 140 football and basketball players on scholarship at any one time. The teams were allowed to sign up to 45 players a year, but could not exceed the 140 Rule. Dodd would not allow any of the football players choosing Tech to be dismissed from Tech, because they were not good players. Dodd said, “it is not the recruits fault for not making the squad, it was the coaches fault for misjudging their talents”. If a recruit came to Tech, he would stay on a football scholarship until he graduated. Dodd would sign about 30-32 players a year to meet the guidelines, but the other schools in the SEC were offering 45 scholarships a year. Those players, not good enough to fall under the 140 Rule, had their scholarships withdrawn and sent packing before the end of each year. Dodd insisted, the recruiting of athletes by this method amounted to nothing more than a tryout for a scholarship.

Dodd thought it unfair and would not withdraw scholarships from his players. He wanted the SEC to limit the amount of scholarships to about 32 per year. This would keep the other schools from offering 45 scholarships, picking the best, and sending the rest packing.

A vote was to be taken by the presidents of the colleges on the issue, and Dodd made it clear, Tech would have to leave the SEC unless the rule was changed. Dodd said he would live with 10, 20, 30, 40, or even 50 recruits per year as long as he did not have to chase any of his players off.The presidents were split six for Dodd’s position and six against. Bear had promised Dodd he would get his president to vote for Dodd’s position, which would have changed the rule.
When the meeting was held, Bryant did not show up and the Alabama president voted against Dodd’s position and the 140 Rule was upheld. Tech’s president immediately walked to the podium and announced Tech was withdrawing from the SEC. Bryant never told Dodd why he reneged on his promise.

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besides, what's an Auburn fan doing talking about honor?

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how the hell can the fans cheat?

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Rouge booster,not really your everyday fan

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Could you elaborate on what rules Alabama broke?

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I don't believe that there were scholarship limits back then

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You sure about that, Scotter? I think scholarship limits didn't start until 1973, long after GT left

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Ya'll just don't know how good you have it. You really don't. Every week is a bowl game, and every game has just so much riding on it. You don't know because the SEC is all you know. There is a different level of excitement, play, professionalism to this league you can't see unless you've been on the other side. Every Saturday was Christmas this year.

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