Utah Football: Utez did not play in 1918 due to the Spanish flu, others did

The Spanish flu caused havoc in college football in 1918, as the COVID-19 pandemic lasted for the past few months, with some programs suspended for a year and others continued.

The University of Utah was one of the universities that chose not to play that season, but the majority, despite World War I still fighting in Europe and the Spanish flu pandemic. University played.

A century ago, the football season began in mid-October and lasted until late November, with most colleges playing a total of six to seven games. It sounds like the University of Utah’s schedule this year, but Utah will (hopefully) play seven games in November and December.

The Spanish flu pandemic began in the spring, but peaked in October 1918, killing nearly 200,000 people in the United States alone that month. In the middle of the month, Utah canceled the season and didn’t play again until next October. Utah, which started playing soccer in 1912, didn’t play in 1918, nor did BYU, who didn’t belong to the official team until 1922.

Exactly 102 years ago, on October 17, 1918, Deseret Evening News published a dozen articles on football and the flu and a three-page article on the pheasant hunting season that began later in the week. One is boxing and the other is golf. ..

There is a headline “Spanish flu is spreading rapidly throughout the United States” and another headline “Football looks like a dead problem in this section of the 1918 season”. The subheading of the story read, “The Spanish flu epidemic may succeed in ringing the death bell of Gridiron Sports this year.”

The story further reported that the University of Utah and high schools in the area were closed for a week and had no “five to six weeks off”, forcing them to cancel. For the whole season.

“Football around here is out of breath. There isn’t much wind enough to inflate the ball to practice,” read the first paragraph of the story.

The story goes on, “What scientists declare to be dangerous’streptococaria’bacteria lurks around the lower regions of the atmosphere, similar to the human system, causing the Spanish flu.

He said he hadn’t had “a little practice on the part of the local high school or university” for more than a week. “Given the situation, it almost always looks like a football bye-bye this year,” the story read.

But while Utah’s colleges and high schools were closed, other schools across the country were moving forward.

A story with a date line in San Francisco says, “I’m interested in coastal football. Many elevens will play despite the war.”

The article stated that the University of California, St. Mary’s, and some military schools were expected to play football despite the war, but strangely did not mention the Spanish flu.

According to one story, Colorado A & M was supposed to play Greeley’s State Teachers College, but the University of Colorado and the University of Colorado were “stuck due to an influenza epidemic.”

Another story was about playing champion Denver at the Colorado mine next Saturday. After all, the five Colorado schools at the Rocky Mountain Conference played in Utah and without Utah that season, playing a total of two to five games.

In another story, I confirmed that the University of Idaho was playing soccer that season, but the next match against the Oregon Aggies was cancelled.

Only four colleges at the Pacific Coast Conference (predecessor of Pac-12), California, Oregon, Washington, and Oregon Agricultural, played football that season.

It was as dire as the headline at the time — “The situation with the flu is worse. The Red Cross works day and night to care for patients — new cases — some deaths,” football continues. Was there.

After all, at least seven conferences weren’t held, including the Missouri Valley, which includes Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas, etc., but despite World War I and the Spanish flu, most universities across the country I played soccer. Status.

Similar to this year’s situation, many games were canceled throughout the season. A few teams played nine games, while other teams such as Florida, Army, and Central Michigan played only one.

It turns out that it’s the only season Utah hasn’t played the game since 1894, and Ut hasn’t missed the season over the last 101 years.