Military Classic of the South
SportFootball
Teams
TrophySilver Shako

Origins

The original Military Classic of the South began as a historical rivalry between the Virginia Military Institute and Virginia Tech (then commonly known as VAMC or VPI). First played in 1896, the annual matchup was played in Roanoke, Virginia beginning in 1913, with both corps of cadets arriving by train. The game became a Thanksgiving Day tradition in 1921, and alternated between the campuses in Lexington, Virginia and Blacksburg, Virginia. This rivalry ended in 1971 as Virginia Tech expanded its student body and grew considerably, and the outcome became unbalanced.[1]

Rivalry Today

Today, the Military Classic of the South is an American college football rivalry game played by The Citadel Bulldogs football team of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, and the VMI Keydets football team of the Virginia Military Institute.[2] The teams first played in 1920, but the trophy that is currently awarded, the Silver Shako, was introduced in 1976.[3] The game has been played nearly continuously since World War II, with no matchups in 1956, 2004, and 2008–2010. Because The Citadel fields teams consisting of both Citadel civilian students and members of the corps of cadets, The Citadel Bulldogs currently have a large advantage over the much smaller, 1,500 cadet-only VMI athletic teams.[4] The Bulldogs have won the past ten meetings and fourteen of the last sixteen; they lead the series 40–30–2.[5] At one point in 1967, the Keydets led the series 18–8–1. The Military Classic is the thirteenth oldest still-played rivalry in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of the NCAA. Both teams were members of the Southern Conference (SoCon) from 1936 until 2003, when VMI left for the Big South Conference and were reunited in the SoCon when VMI returned in 2014.[6][7]

The 72nd and most recent game of the series saw The Citadel defeat VMI 30–20 in Lexington, Virginia, at Alumni Memorial Field.

With the return of VMI to the SoCon, annual rivalries have been renewed in college baseball, women's soccer, track and field, and cross country. VMI remained in the SoCon in wrestling, and continued to compete annually with The Citadel in that sport while a full member of the Big South. The Bulldogs and Keydets both participated in the All-Military Classic basketball tournament, which began while VMI was a member of the Big South and concluded after four years with the two schools back in the Southern Conference.

Game results

The Citadel victoriesVMI victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
11920Lynchburg, VAVMI35–0
21929Lexington, VAVMI12–7
31930Charleston, SCThe Citadel7–6
41931Lexington, VATie13–13
51932Charleston, SCThe Citadel12–6
61937Lexington, VAVMI27–0
71946Lexington, VAVMI21–6
81947Charleston, SCThe Citadel7–6
91948Lexington, VAVMI34–6
101949Charleston, SCThe Citadel19–14
111950Lexington, VAVMI13–7
121951Charleston, SCVMI27–21
131952Lexington, VAVMI20–19
141953Charleston, SCVMI14–0
151954Lexington, VAVMI42–0
161955Charleston, SCVMI14–7
171957Lexington, VAVMI33–7
181958Charleston, SCThe Citadel14–6
191959Lexington, VAVMI32–8
201960Charleston, SCVMI20–6
211961Lexington, VAThe Citadel14–8
221962Charleston, SCVMI16–7
231963Lexington, VAVMI33–8
241964Charleston, SCThe Citadel17–0
251965Lexington, VAVMI21–7
261966Charleston, SCThe Citadel30–14
271967Roanoke, VAVMI22–11
281968Charleston, SCThe Citadel13–8
291969Lexington, VAThe Citadel28–2
301970Charleston, SCThe Citadel56–9
311971Lexington, VAThe Citadel25–24
321972Charleston, SCThe Citadel42–3
331973Lexington, VAVMI23–6
341974Charleston, SCVMI20–9
351975Lexington, VAThe Citadel6–3
361976Charleston, SCVMI30–14
371977Lexington, VAVMI19–3
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
381978Charleston, SCThe Citadel14–3
391979Lexington, VAThe Citadel37–6
401980Charleston, SCThe Citadel28–0
411981Norfolk, VAVMI14–0
421982Charleston, SCThe Citadel21–7
431983Lexington, VAThe Citadel27–16
441984Charleston, SCThe Citadel27–24
451985Lexington, VATie14–14
461986Charleston, SCVMI47–30
471987Charleston, SCVMI7–3
481988Norfolk, VAThe Citadel31–20
491989Lexington, VAVMI20–10
501990Charleston, SCThe Citadel23–3
511991Norfolk, VAThe Citadel17–14
521992Charleston, SCThe Citadel50–0
531993Charleston, SCThe Citadel34–33
541994Norfolk, VAThe Citadel58–14
551995Charleston, SCVMI34–7
561996Lexington, VAVMI34–27
571997Charleston, SCThe Citadel28–6
581998Lexington, VAThe Citadel36–10
591999Charleston, SCThe Citadel14–7
602000Lexington, VAVMI41–21
612001Charleston, SCThe Citadel49–7
622002Charlotte, NCVMI23–21
632003Charlotte, NCThe Citadel27–23
642005Lexington, VAThe Citadel22–14
652006Charleston, SCThe Citadel48–21
662007Lexington, VAThe Citadel70–28
672011Charleston, SCThe Citadel41–14
682012Lexington, VAThe Citadel27–24
692013Charleston, SCThe Citadel31–10
702014Lexington, VAThe Citadel45–25
712015Charleston, SCThe Citadel35–14
722016Lexington, VAThe Citadel30–20
Series: The Citadel leads 40–30–2

Other varsity sports

Sport Last Matchup All-Time Series
Date Location Winner Score Attendance Leader Record
Baseball March 25, 2016 Gray–Minor Stadium • Lexington, VA The Citadel 10–2 272 The Citadel 78–29
March 26, 2016 Gray–Minor Stadium • Lexington, VA VMI 8–3 269
March 27, 2016 Gray–Minor Stadium • Lexington, VA The Citadel 4–3 204
May 24, 2016 (SoCon Tournament) Fluor Field at the West End • Greenville, SC The Citadel 3–2 709
Basketball January 7, 2017 McAlister Field House • Charleston, SC The Citadel 79–74 1,350 The Citadel 56–50
February 27, 2016 Cameron Hall • Lexington, VA VMI 111–95 3,327
Women's Soccer October 16, 2016 WLI Field • Charleston, SC VMI 2–0 274 VMI 6–3
October 26, 2016[a] Patchin Field • Lexington, VA VMI 1–0OT 200
Wrestling January 26, 2017 Cameron Hall • Lexington, VA The Citadel 19–16 N/A VMI 39–29
  1. ^ SoCon Tournament

See also

References

  1. ^ "From The Beginning ... To The Beamer Era". Virginia Tech Hokies. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  2. ^ "SoCon Football Week 10: A Historical Sketch of the 'Battle For The Silver Shako'". Medium.com. November 3, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  3. ^ The Citadel vs. VMI Trivia Challenge
  4. ^ Jeff Hartsell (November 5, 2015). "VMI and The Citadel: The same, but different". Post and Courier. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  5. ^ Jeff Hartsell (November 5, 2015). "VMI and The Citadel: The same, but different". Post and Courier. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  6. ^ "CSTV Adds VMI-Citadel "Military Classic of the South" To Fall Football Line-Up". Big South Conference. July 11, 2007. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  7. ^ "VMI, Citadel play their 'Classic'". USA Today. November 15, 2002. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
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