RPI Football: A History of Tradition and Evolution
For those who follow sports, the crisp air of fall is strongly associated with an old tradition: RPI football. Intercollegiate games have been played at Rensselaer since 1886. This article delves into the rich history and traditions surrounding RPI football, exploring its early beginnings, rivalries, significant moments, and the evolution of its visual identity.
Early Days and the Dawn of a Rivalry
Intercollegiate football begin as late as 1886 when an RPI team first played a Union College team on a leased field in West Troy (Watervliet). For the first twenty years, these games were played on borrowed fields and without a coach. Since 1903, RPI and nearby Union have been rivals in football, making it the oldest such rivalry in the state. The teams have played for the Dutchman's Shoes since 1950, adding another layer of tradition to this historic contest.
A Defining Moment: The 2003 Season
RPI Football had their most successful season in 2003, when they finished 11-2 and lost to St. John's University (MN) in the NCAA Division III Football Championship Quarterfinal. This remarkable season stands as a testament to the dedication and talent of the RPI football program.
The Evolution of a Name: From "Fighting Engineers" to "Engineers"
The school's teams were originally nicknamed the "Fighting Engineers" in 1925, likely by a student writing for the paper, and called so due to the energy of the players. In 1995, the nickname of some of the school's teams was officially changed from the Engineers to the Red Hawks. However, the hockey, football, cross-country, tennis and track and field teams all chose to retain the Engineers name. The Red Hawks name was never much liked by the student body; a Red Hawk mascot was frequently taunted by fans who threw objects at him and chanted, "kill the chicken!". Finally, in 2009 the nickname was changed back to Engineers. The RPI Engineers are composed of 21 teams representing Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in intercollegiate athletics. As of the 2009-10 season, all of Rensselaer’s 23 intercollegiate sports fall under the moniker of “Engineers”.
Symbols and Spirit: Colors, Mascots, and the Pep Band
In 1947, Samuel Rezneck (Professor of History at the Institute) replied to a researcher who asked why the Institute had adopted cherry and white as its school colors. We have Rezneck's response to the query which reveals some colorful articles he found in The Rensselaer Polytechnic that I sought out for myself and couldn't resist sharing with our readers. The colors, cherry and white, were incorporated in the Institute coat of arms which was prepared in 1904 at the request of Director Ricketts by a Boston architect, Mr. R. C. Sturgis. It should be noted that the official coat of arms, as prepared in 1904, includes the colors, blue and gold, as well as the familiar cherry and white, but only the last two are usually printed now.
Read also: The Story of UNI Panthers Football
Over the years, RPI has had a variety of mascots, reflecting the changing times and student preferences. “The Bachelors” - The Student Council held a mascot contest in the spring of 1953 and students voted on the finalists. "Bachelors" was the winning entry. “Puckman” - Puckman, the mascot at Rensselaer hockey games, is modeled after the RPI Bullet logo. The character, which is in the shape of a puck and has an Engineers cap, first appeared in printed marketing materials in the late 70's before appearing in costume in 1998. “The Swarm” - The Swarm was also a mascot in the 1980s. “Red Hawks” - In 1995, the Red Hawk was adopted as an official Rensselaer mascot. Athletic teams such as basketball, baseball, softball and soccer adopted this as their team name.
Founded in 1920, the RPI Pep Band is a completely student-owned and operated organization operating under the Rensselaer Union. The RPI Pep Band is also known as America's Pep Band. Why the name? The alma mater was published under the title "Here's to Old R.P.I." in the first book of Songs of Rensselaer printed in 1913. In 1918, there was some dissatisfaction expressed about the alma mater and the Phalanx sponsored a contest for a new school song. The Polytechnic Board, who was preparing a new edition of Songs of Rensselaer, attempted to resurrect the debate in the spring of 1920. Hail, dear old Rensselaer has been played as the intro for the RPI athletics teams for many years. Words and Music by Charles S.
Game Day Visuals: A Century of Programs
Symbols of Rensselaer center the staid programs of the 1910s and 1920s. The earliest artistic cover combines an art deco font and brilliant cherry red, while a 1937 rendering looks unmistakably Rockwellian. Pro-USA artwork captures the national spirit of the World War II era, and it is also represented in a 2012 Merchant Marine cover. The 1950s and 1960s visuals frequently rely on humor, while images from the 1970s subtly reference contemporary art. By the 1980s photography takes over, with pictures of RPI players dominating the layout for the next thirty years. In recent years, only one glossy program is printed for an entire season, with text-heavy handouts prepared for each home game. It seems our game-day programs have come full circle over the past 96 years. I find the visual evolution of these graphic designs fascinating.
The East Campus Athletic Village: A New Era for RPI Athletics
As part of the Rensselaer Plan, the Institute recently completed a major project to improve its athletic facilities with the East Campus Athletic Village. The estimated cost of the project is $78 million for phase one and $35-$45 million for phase two. Since the completion of the new stadium, the bleachers on the Class of '86 football field on the central campus have been removed and the field has become an open space. The Houston Field House is a 4,780‑seat multi-purpose arena located on the RPI campus. It opened in 1949 and is home to the RPI Engineers men's and women's ice hockey teams. The Field House was renovated starting in 2007 as part of the major campus improvement project to build the East Campus Athletic Village.
More Than Just Football: A Look at Other RPI Sports
The RPI Engineers are composed of 21 teams representing Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, cross country, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and track and field. Men's sports include baseball, football, and golf. Women's sports include field hockey, and softball. The Engineers baseball squad is perennially atop the Liberty League standings, and has seen eight players move on to the professional ranks, including four players selected in the MLB draft. (No RPI Engineer has played in the majors, but Dave Lohrman and Bill Snyder, who were both drafted in 1997, made it as far as AAA ball.) The team is coached by Karl Steffen (Ithaca '78). American rugby was played on campus in the late 1870s.
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The origins of RPI men's lacrosse began in the 1930s, when the school had a club team; not much else is known about the team when it was a student run club. In 1942, Ned Harkness began coaching the team after the institution recognized it as a varsity sport. Coach Harkness was working part-time as coach and full-time at a local job in Troy, New York. The 1948 men's lacrosse team represented the United States in the 1948 Olympics in London. This team was undefeated in the United States that year with a record of 11-0, winning the national championship. The team continued this streak into London to beat several English teams while also playing to a 5-5 tie with the British all star team, winning 7 of the 8 games played, with one tie and no losses. The Olympic Sports committee does not list lacrosse as an official event, so these games were considered exhibition matches. Recently RPI men's lacrosse continues the tradition of the 1948 team by being one of the top division III schools in the nation.
Read also: SRU Football History
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