1951 Loyola Lions football team

1951 Loyola Lions football
ConferenceIndependent
Record3–6
Head coach
Home stadiumRose Bowl
Seasons
← 1950
1951 Western college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 14 San Francisco   –   9 – 0 – 0
La Verne   –   5 – 3 – 0
Pacific (CA)   –   6 – 5 – 0
Fresno State   –   5 – 5 – 0
Santa Clara   –   3 – 5 – 1
Hawaii   –   4 – 7 – 0
Loyola (CA)   –   3 – 6 – 0
San Jose State   –   2 – 7 – 1
Cal Poly San Dimas   –   1 – 6 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1951 Loyola Lions football team was an American football team that represented Loyola University of Los Angeles (now known as Loyola Marymount University) as an independent during the 1951 college football season. In their third season under head coach Jordan Olivar, the Lions compiled a 3–6 record and were outscored by a total of 229 to 180.[1]

Loyola was ranked at No. 96 in the 1951 Litkenhous Ratings.[2]

Discontinuation of the program

On December 30, 1951, one month after the season ended, Loyola's president, the Rev. Charles S. Casassa, SJ, announced that the school was discontinuing its intercollegiate football program. The announcement shocked coaches, students, and alumni at the school.[3]

Loyola's president attributed the decision to the loss of several hundred students resulting from the Korean War which began in June 1950. The Los Angeles Times wrote that other likely factors influencing Loyola's decision included concerns about overemphasis on football, rising costs, heightened competition for players, the platoon system with its demand for a greater number of players, the lack of a suitable home field, and difficulty in scheduling games with popular teams such as UCLA and USC.[3]

Other independent Catholic schools on the West Coast also discontinued their programs during this time period. Saint Mary's College of California disbanded its program after the 1950 season, and the University of San Francisco made its announcement on the same day as Loyola.[3]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23San Diego Navy
L 28–429,572[4]
September 29at Pacific (CA)
L 28–4124,000[5]
October 6Florida
  • Rose Bowl
  • Pasadena, CA
L 7–4015,350[6]
October 14at Santa Clara
L 16–2010,000[7]
October 26at San Jose State
W 13–127,500[8]
November 3Pepperdine
  • Rose Bowl
  • Pasadena, CA
W 46–76,200[9]
November 10at Kansas
L 26–3418,000[10]
November 17Hardin–Simmons
  • Rose Bowl
  • Pasadena, CA
W 14–139,500[11]
November 25 No. 13 San Francisco
  • Rose Bowl
  • Pasadena, CA
L 2–2015,750[12]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

  1. ^ "1951 Loyola Marymount Lions Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  2. ^ "Vols Top Final 1951 Litkenhous Ratings". The Nashville Banner. December 14, 1951. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c "Football Program Abandoned at Loyola and San Francisco". Los Angeles Times. December 31, 1951. p. IV-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Jack Geyer (September 24, 1951). "San Diego Sailors Lower Boom on Loyolans, 42 to 28: Logue Passes Five TDs for Border Eleven". Los Angeles Times. pp. IV-1, IV-2 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "24,000 Fans See COP Swamp Loyola 41-28 Despite Smart Passing". Napa Sunday Journal. September 30, 1951. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Gators walk over Loyola Lions, 40–7". Long Beach Press-Telegram. October 7, 1951. Retrieved February 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Harry M. Hayward (October 15, 1951). "Broncs Hang On for First Victory: Lions' Rally Fails, 20-16". The San Francisco Examiner. pp. 35, 37 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Loyola Rallies For 13-12 Win". The San Bernardino Sun. October 27, 1951. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Jack Geyer (November 4, 1951). "Lions Trounce Waves, 46 to 7". Los Angeles Times. pp. II-9, II-14. Retrieved August 17, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Jack Geyer (November 11, 1951). "Kansas Rally Overpowers Loyola, 34-26". Los Angeles Times. pp. II-9, II-14. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  11. ^ Jack Geyer (November 18, 1951). "Lions Nose Out Cowboys, 14 to 13". Los Angeles Times. p. II-10. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  12. ^ Jack Geyer (November 26, 1951). "USF Bowls Over Lions, 20-2; Matson Falls Short of Marks". Los Angeles Times. pp. IV-1, IV-3. Retrieved August 14, 2018.