11 Comments
User's avatar
James L. Gilbert's avatar

I didn't realize goal posts could be decorated until the 1970's. I don't recall seeing such in my Kenan Stadium field design research.

When the Olmsted Brothers designed possible permutations of Davidson's new athletic fields in the 1920s, a tree on Sprunt Field is not shown. https://flic.kr/p/2gALwtv

Football Archaeology's avatar

Interesting. I found another 1922 image of the crowd on the field at Sprunt, presumably at halftime, but does not show either end of the field.

David Perlmutter's avatar

The tree may have held symbolic value for the school- there are some trees on campuses that do hold that distinction. I can't remember the exact details, but there have been some incidents where such trees have come down, and uproars resulted.

Football Archaeology's avatar

There was a tree outside the end zone at Ursinus that eventually came down, but at least it was beyond the playing field during its life.

phil allen's avatar

UC Berkeley's Memorial Stadium was due for one of several upgrades in the e. 2000's, and this meant the aw-shucks removal of a glade of trees outside the southwestern curve of the great oval's facade. Elderly city doyennes roosted in them for days but, as was assured, the People lost another one and out came the trees ..

Football Archaeology's avatar

One of my remaining life goals is to watch a game from Tightwad Hill.

phil allen's avatar

Haven't been up there in years; something went psst, with me, with the program. However, the view! ..

phil allen's avatar

Re: Decorated Goalposts - are (wind) streamers allowed to be attached to the tops of the posts, at any level? ..

Football Archaeology's avatar

Yes. Per the 2025 rules, the NCAA permits directional streamers and the NFL requires them. (The NFL Rule Book says: An orange-colored ribbon 4 inches by 42 inches is to be attached to the top of each post.) I don't have the NFHS rules.

Pigskin Dispatch's avatar

Tongue-in-cheek theory says Davidson had weak pass coverage skills on the right side of their defense, so at least this endzone had some extra coverage. LOL

Football Archaeology's avatar

The tree kept them from being beaten to a pulp.