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Nashville Sports Council and Ohio Valley Conference Announce Creation of Sgt. York Trophy

2007-07-24

Representatives from the Nashville Sports Council and the Ohio Valley Conference announced the creation of the Sergeant York Trophy which will go to the winner of the quadrangular season football series between the four Ohio Valley Conference schools located in the state of Tennessee – Austin Peay State University, University of Tennessee at Martin, Tennessee State University and Tennessee Technological University.

The award is only the second traveling trophy that involves more than two teams in college sports; the other is the Commander in Chief’s Trophy which has been contested between Air Force, Army and Navy annually since 1972.

"We’re thrilled to partner with the Ohio Valley Conference on this exciting new award," said Scott Ramsey, President & CEO of the NSC. Added Ramsey, "Sergeant York was a true American and Tennessee hero and this is a great way to honor his memory and recognize the very best in collegiate athletics with the OVC."

"We are very appreciative of the Nashville Sports Council for sponsoring this award," said Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher, Commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference. "I believe that this will become a unique and distinguished honor for the involved teams. Alvin York is a hero, not only for his distinguished service in the military in World War I, but also for the passion and energy he brought to facilitating educational opportunities and championing the cause of education. He is a tremendous role model for our student-athletes."

The award is named in honor of Alvin C. York, the most noted Soldier of World War I. As a corporal in the 2nd battalion, 328th Infantry, in the Battle of the Meuse River-Argonne (Oct. 8, 1918), York and seven other soldiers captured 132 prisoners, was promoted to sergeant and received the Distinguished Service Cross, the French Croix de Guerre, the French Legion of Honor, the Croce di Guerra of Italy and the War Medal of Montenegro. Upon his return to the United States in 1919, he was bestowed the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Following the war York returned his home in Pall Mall, Tenn. (located in north central Tennessee, 55 miles northeast of Cookeville) where he dedicated his life to improving education and facilitating educational opportunities for children in the state of Tennessee. In 1927 he established the Alvin C. York Institute after spending several years raising money for the school which opened as a private institution. That school was established, in part, to provide educational opportunities denied to the boys and girls of Fentress Country. In 1937, the Institute became a state special school after an appeal to the Tennessee State Legislature. The school, located in Jamestown, Tenn., is still in operation today.

York died on Sept. 2, 1964 and the foundation which he helped establish in 1920 – The Sergeant York Patriotic Foundation – was dormant for many years. The Foundation was re-established by Lipscomb Davis, Jr. in 1992 and is currently run by Sgt. York’s grandson Gerald (U.S. Army Colonel, Retired). York’s papers are archived by Michael E. Birdwell, Ph.D., who is an associate professor of history at Tennessee Technological University, one of the four institutions that will compete for the yearly honor.

"On behalf of the Sergeant York Patriotic Foundation and my family, we would like to thank the Ohio Valley Conference and Nashville Sports Council for this honor," said Gerald York. "My Grandfather always wanted to be remembered for his efforts in promoting education and encouraging young men and women to get as much education as possible. It is very fitting he will be honored with this trophy, and he would be proud that it recognizes the talents of young people attending Colleges and Universities throughout this region.

After the completion of the football season, the Sergeant York Trophy will be awarded to the institution with the best head-to-head record in the match-ups with their fellow Tennessee schools. In the event of a tie, the award will be shared; however, the previous winner will retain the trophy if they are part of the tie. If the tie is between two other institutions, the trophy will go to the institution that has gone the most seasons without winning the trophy.

The award will be presented to the winning institution annually at the O’Charley’s Dinner of Champions, which is hosted each spring by the Nashville Sports Council. The event was created in 1999 and salutes amateur and professional sports in Tennessee.

The competition for the inaugural Sergeant York Trophy coincides with the return to OVC football for Austin Peay, who left the Conference to play non-scholarship football following the 1996 season. The program returns 50 players from last year’s team and is under the direction of first-year head coach Rick Christophel. Also with a new head coach is Tennessee Tech, who hired Cookeville native Watson Brown to guide the program during the off-season. The Golden Eagles return 12 starters from last year including a pair of first-team All-OVC picks. Tennessee-Martin is coming off its best season of football at the Division I level, as the Skyhawks shared the OVC crown last season and made its first Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly I-AA) playoff appearance. Tennessee State enters its third season under head coach James Webster, Jr. The Tigers return 50 lettermen from last year’s team that won six games for the first time since 2003.

The four teams have played each other a combined 167 times over the years, dating back to the 1927 season when Tennessee Tech and Tennessee-Martin (then a junior college) squared off. Austin Peay played Tennessee Tech and Tennessee-Martin for the first time in the 1938 season while Tennessee State’s meetings with its now conference-mates did not begin until much later. Tennessee State first played Tennessee-Martin in 1976, Tennessee Tech in 1984 and Austin Peay in 1988.

Additional Quotes

Austin Peay Director of Athletics Dave Loos

"Sgt. York was a role model in every sense of the word and it is a distinct honor to be playing for such an award in Austin Peay’s return to the OVC in football."

Austin Peay Head Football Coach Rick Christophel

"It is such a privilege to be a part of this. The state of Tennessee is rich in military history and this is a great way to honor Sgt. York and his family."

Tennessee-Martin Director of Athletics Phil Dane

"Defeating the other Tennessee OVC members is always a key goal for our football team, and it’s nice to have a formal trophy to commemorate this championship. Since we play Tennessee State the last game of the season, we are hoping the Sgt. York Trophy will be at stake. In addition to the competitive spirit generated by this trophy, I’m excited that we will be honoring one of our military heroes. As long as America is involved in war, we need to find ways to remember and honor our warriors who protect our freedom."

Tennessee-Martin Head Football Coach Jason Simpson

"What a great idea and a great award to recognize the Tennessee teams that compete in the Ohio Valley Conference. We are looking forward to competing for this annual award. One of our goals every year is to win the Ohio Valley Conference Championship if we can win the York Trophy that puts us that much closer to achieving one of our goals."

Tennessee State Director of Athletics Teresa Philips

"I am excited that TSU will be a part of the York Trophy competition. I think rivalries are one of the great aspects of sports on all levels. A natural rivalry should exist between state schools, and this trophy will be a means of highlighting and putting a positive on the rivalry between the four universities competing for it each year."

Tennessee State Head Football Coach James Webster, Jr.

"I think it is great that the OVC has added to the excitement of the competition for the OVC football title. It is my belief that you must win the Alvin York Trophy if you have aspirations to win the conference championship. It will certainly be our goal to win both trophies."

Tennessee Tech Director of Athletics Mark Wilson

"Sergeant Alvin York is from the Upper Cumberland region, so people in this area are aware of his heroism and his history. Establishing this trophy in his name will not only bring added interest to some of the great rivalries within the Ohio Valley Conference, it will also increase awareness of Sgt. York’s contributions to our state and to our country. I think each of the four teams will compete at the highest level, knowing that there’s something more at stake. I think everyone will take great pride in competing for this trophy."

Tennessee Tech Head Football Coach Watson Brown

"We’re excited about this. Building in-state rivalries is important. I’m a big ‘state’ guy. We recruit heavily in the state, and we want to get off to a good start and do well against those teams. The competition for this trophy will just enhance some of the great in-state rivalries that already exist. It will be good for OVC football."

2007 Sergeant York Trophy Contests
Sept. 15 – Tennessee State at Austin Peay, 6:00 p.m.
Sept. 22 – Tennessee-Martin at Austin Peay, 6:00 p.m.
Sept. 27 – Tennessee Tech at Tennessee-Martin, 6:00 p.m.
Oct. 6 – Austin Peay at Tennessee Tech, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 11 – Tennessee State at Tennessee Tech, 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 17 – Tennessee-Martin at Tennessee State, 12:30 p.m.

Related Links
Sergeant York Foundation – "http://www.alvincyork.org/
Sergeant York Project – http://www.sergeantyorkproject.com
Nashville Sports Council – http://www.nashvillesports.com
Ohio Valley Conference – http://www.ovcsports.com
Austin Peay – http://www.apsugovernors.com
Tennessee-Martin – http://www.utmsports.com
Tennessee State – http://www.tsutigers.com
Tennessee Tech – http://www.ttusports.com

About the Nashville Sports Council and the Ohio Valley Conference

The Nashville Sports Council is a private, not-for-profit, membership-based organization of area corporations and individual sports enthusiasts. Created in 1992, the Nashville Sports Council’s mission is to positively impact the economy and quality of life of the Greater Nashville Area by attracting and promoting professional and amateur sporting events. The Nashville Sports Council has hosted more than 100 events that have produced more than $250 million in economic impact and is The Driving Force of Sports in Nashville. For more information, call (615) 743-3120 or visit NashvilleSports.com.

The Ohio Valley Conference is entering its 60th year of competition in 2007-08 and is the eighth-oldest Division I conference. The Conference includes 11 schools across five states. The current membership includes Austin Peay State University, Eastern Illinois University, Eastern Kentucky University, Jacksonville State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Samford University, Southeast Missouri State University, University of Tennessee at Martin, Tennessee State University and Tennessee Technological University.nd Division for France in May 1918. On Oct. 8, 1918, he and seven other soldiers captured 132 prisoners at the Battle of the Meuse River-Argonne.

Additional Notes on Sergeant Alvin C. York
* Was born on Dec. 13, 1887 in Pall Mall, Tenn.

* When he responded to his draft notice in 1917, he possessed only a third grade education (a subscription school education which amounted to only nine months of total schooling over three years). Before leaving for boot camp, he had never been outside a 150-mile radius of his hometown.

* He left with the 82

* York returned home in 1919 and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

* On June 7, 1919 York and Gracie Williams were married in Pall Mall, Tenn. by Governor A.H. Roberts.

* As early as 1920, York formed a non-profit organization, the York Foundation, and went on a speaking tour on behalf of the school. Although he did not have much background in public speaking or raising money, York learned in order to help not only children in his hometown but also throughout the state of Tennessee.

* A 1926 pamphlet on the York Institute stated "... it will be the aim of the Institute to afford an opportunity for mature men and women to get an education, regardless of how backward they may be, and also to send out only such graduates as are prepared to succeed in the work they have chosen to do."

* Plans for the Institute were first drafted in 1925 and groundbreaking occurred on May 8, 1926 before a crowd of 2,000. The first students attended the newly constructed York Institute in 1929.

* While raising funds for the school, York had proposed a mandatory, eight-month school year, an idea that angered many local farmers who thought education was impractical. However, the state legislature passed a mandatory education bill of 1925, which only enhanced the institutes chances of success.

* The opening of the new school happened at the same time as the Great Depression, which ended all appropriations for bus transportation, putting the school in financial trouble. Twice York secured a mortgage on his farm to hire drivers, buy buses and pay teacher salaries.

* In 1937 the school was taken over by the state of Tennessee and York was made the "president emeritus." He continued to raise money for the Institute, presided over every graduation ceremony until 1948 and visited the school into the late 1950s.

* In 1941 the movie Sergeant York was made, chronicling his life. The movie starred Gary Cooper and William Brennan.

* York died on Sept. 2, 1964 at Veterans Hospital in Nashville, He is buried in Pall Mall, Tenn.

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