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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Author(s)
Olin L. Adams III and Rebekah Keenon
Full-Text PDF XML 507 Views
DOI:10.17265/2332-7839/2018.03.008
Affiliation(s)
Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States of America
ABSTRACT
This paper recalls the 1942 Rose Bowl game,
which was relocated from its traditional site at Pasadena, California, to Duke
University in Durham, North Carolina. The Tournament of Roses nearly cancelled
the game after a government request to avoid large crowds on the West Coast, in
light of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Duke, originally selected as the
visiting team to play Pacific Coast Conference champion Oregon State
University, resolved the dilemma by offering to stage the game at its campus
stadium. Duke Stadium had a capacity of only 35,000, much smaller than the Rose
Bowl stadium, and 20,000 temporary seats from nearby University of North
Carolina and North Carolina State University were added to accommodate fans. On
the strength of a 13-point third quarter,
Oregon State upset undefeated Duke, 20-16, in the 28th Rose Bowl game. The game returned to
Pasadena the following year. With Allied victory at the Battle of Midway and
stabilization of the Pacific Theater of war, the West Coast was considered
secure enough to host large events. The move of the 1942 Rose Bowl was the first of many impacts on sport
generally and college football in particular caused by World War II. With male
enrollment reduced drastically, many colleges and universities did not field a
football team for one or more seasons during the war. Prominent players were
killed in action, including some who competed in the 1942 Rose Bowl. Coaches
likewise joined the war effort, notably Wallace Wade of Duke. Following the
war, the readjustment of servicemen extended to the gridiron, as football
rosters included many veterans. Yet the 1942 Rose Bowl has new relevance beyond
its 75th anniversary. The 2008 Southeastern Conference men’s basketball
tournament was moved when a tornado struck Atlanta. In 2015 terrorists attacked
a soccer stadium in Paris, raising new consciousness of the global threat of
terrorism. Sport managers strive to make events safe, not only at the venue,
but within an expanding perimeter.
KEYWORDS
Intercollegiate athletics, sport history, Rose Bowl, World War II, contingency management.
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