Forgotten Neighbors

Over the past 150 years, college football has been passed down from generation to generation. On November 6, 1869, Rutgers University and the College of New Jersey (now known as Princeton University) gave us what would be the birth of college football. In a moment so large, one could feel the effects of this game to this day. From traditions such as game days at the Grove at Ole Miss to rivalries such as Ohio St. and Michigan, there are several things that make college football great.

Marshall County owns a piece of college football history that many may forget once existed. A rivalry only separated by North Memphis Street was arguably the biggest rivalry in the state of Mississippi among “Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” Mississippi Industrial College vs. Rust College football games brought people together from all over, says Miss Industrial alum Victor Jackson. It’s been 60 years since both schools faced the gridiron due to the suspension of both programs.

After doing research, I found that MI and Rust were the closest in distance of any schools in the history of college football, making this rivalry so much more special. After both teams left the South Central Athletic Conference, the conference realigned to become what is known today as the SWAC. The years have come and gone, burying the Marshall County rivals and making them the “forgotten neighbors.”