The Athletic (premium): VU Chancellor Harvie Branscomb proposed a "Magnolia League" in 1962; it went nowhere

[BrentVU]

Teaser paragraph:

The Smart League? The Ivy League of the South? If it ever got to the naming change, that’s lost to history. But for a time, way back when, the idea of higher-end ACC and SEC schools breaking off, and potentially being joined by others, was discussed at the highest levels.

It was the brainchild, at least apparently, of then-Vanderbilt president Harvie Branscomb, who spoke to several fellow presidents in 1962 about a breakaway conference: Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Duke, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Tulane and Georgia. And potentially others outside the two conferences.

The Athletic (premium): An ACC, SEC breakaway conference? Believe it or not, the idea was discussed in 1962
by Seth Emerson

[AuricGoldfinger]

Seeing Georgia in that list is jarring.

It's a very good school, but would have never figured it would have been part of a mythical Magnolia League.

[FayetteDore]

This article is fascinating and alone is worth a subscription (and no, I don't get paid to shill for The Athletic).

Although the discussions didn't ultimately result in a new league, there WERE extensive discussions that, the article says, apparently ended when Branscomb retired a year later in 1963

“Since my talk with you last month, I have had several communications from other institutions, and it is quite clear that a number of us are not satisfied with our present athletic arrangements,” Branscomb wrote Harrison in a letter dated March 20, 1962. “From the information I have in hand, there is some interest in the possibility of a new structure on the part of the following institutions: Tulane, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Duke and the University of Virginia. And while I have not heard directly, there is evidence that the University of North Carolina might also be interested. If North Carolina is interested, we would have a group of six institutions. This would be large enough numerically.”

There was virtually no public knowledge of the discussions. The reporter could find no newspaper accounts of it. Instead, he found an exchange of letters in the papers of Edwin Harrison, president of Georgia Tech at the time, in the Tech archives.

But that's not all: the article also reveals that General Neyland had discussions a decade earlier about forming a new conference with the SEC's FB powerhouses plus Miami.

[VUgearhead]

The Magnolia League was ahead of it's time.

But FEAR NOT!!

It's time will come.

[Seadog73]

I think that's about the time ('62-'63) that Branscomb unilaterally reduced the number of football scholarships available at VU.

[Johnmn555]

GA's program was in bad shape circa 1961, which explains that. There was no gigantic SEC check in 1962, so this made a lot more sense then than now. Too bad it didn't happen, really.

[historybill]

This isn't new by any means.

In fact, there is a chapter about this in my book, called "Harvie Versus the Football Team." I wrote the book in 2002 and published it in 2003.

I got the information from Branscomb's 1978 memoirs, called "Purely Academic: An Autobiography." He referred to his idea as the "Southern Ivy League."

Branscomb tried to get the other SEC schools to get rid of bowl games, stop having spring practice and reduce the number of athletic scholarships. That didn't go over too well. Then he called a meeting of schools he regarded to be like minded and suggested a new league to them.

However, at about the same time he did this, Vanderbilt beat Alabama, so the Vanderbilt fan base forgot about reform and got excited about winning.

[FayetteDore]

Yes, I see it there on pages 219-223.
Just before the next chapter: Lust, Repression, and Good Clean Fun. No wonder I overlooked it first time around.

[Go Vandy!]

Yes, I see it there on pages 219-223.
Just before the next chapter: Lust, Repression, and Good Clean Fun. No wonder I overlooked it first time around.

I would have started with that chapter. Then gone back to page 1...maybe.