Erskine Flying Fleet football
First season1896
Athletic directorMark Peeler
Head coachShap Boyd
4th season, 6–33 (.154)
StadiumJ. W. Babb Stadium
LocationGreenwood, South Carolina
NCAA divisionDivision II
ConferenceSouth Atlantic Conference (Division II)
All-time record86–221–11 (.288)
ColorsGarnet and gold[1]
   
Websiteerskinesports.com

The Erskine Flying Fleet football team represents Erskine College in the sport of American football. The Flying Fleet compete in the NCAA Division II as an independent, but will join the South Atlantic Conference as an associate member in 2022.[2] The team is currently led by head coach Shap Boyd, who has held the position since November 15, 2018, making him the first head football coach at Erskine since 1951.[3]

The Erskine College football program was terminated after the 1951 season. The team went on hiatus before announcing the return for the 2020. The program will practice in 2019, and its players will use a redshirt season. Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the fall 2020 season was postponed until spring 2021. The program played its first game in 70 years on 27 February 2021, defeating Barton College 30-28.[4]

History

Erskine football started in 1896.[5] It was discontinued in 1951. The period from 1917 to 1921 brought most of the program's success, including athlete Dode Phillips.[6] During those seasons they have wins against Wofford, Presbyterian, South Carolina, Clemson, and the Citadel. It was during a game in 1929[7] that Erskine took on the name "The Flying Fleet". They were given that name by a Greenville reporter who was blown away by their passing performance in the game. They had previously been known as the "Seceders".[8] On October 18, 1948 when they defeated Florida State 14–6. It was only a couple more years until the Flying Fleet ended their football program in 1951.

In 2018, Erskine College announced return of the football program for the 2020 season competing in NCAA Division II.[9][10][11][12]

Conference affiliations

In 1915, Erskine began intercollegiate football and competed for the state title with other members of the South Carolina Intercollegiate Athletic Association.[13][14] In 1925, Erskine joined the ranks of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association.[15] In 1939, Erskine was a founding member of the South Atlantic Conference, which was for "small liberal arts schools that do not place undue emphasis upon athletics."[16] The conference's founding members were Erskine, Newberry, Oglethorpe, Presbyterian, and Wofford. They added Rollins and Stetson in 1940, and then Mercer in 1941 before it disbanded due to several programs discontinuing football.[17][18] The schools maintained membership in the S.I.A.A. while also competing for the South Atlantic title. Erskine was also a member of the South Carolina Little Four alongside Newberry, Presbyterian, and Wofford. The "Little Four" informally was naming champions in the period before the war as well.

Years Conference
1896 Independent
1897–1914 No intercollegiate team
1915–1924 South Carolina Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1925–1941 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1939–1941 South Atlantic Conference
1942–1945 No team (WWII)
1946–1951 South Carolina Little Four
1952–2018 No team
2019–2020 No intercollegiate competition (practice only)
2021 Independent
2022–2023 South Atlantic Conference
2024 Gulf South Conference
2025- Conference Carolinas

Seasons

Year Head coach Conference Overall record Conference record
1896John Walker—0–1—
1897–1914No football
1915Norman G. LaMotteSCIAA0–7–10–4
1916Claude Moore2–41–3
1917Lucius H. Ranson4–32–3
1918Lieutenant F. C. Fishback1–0–11–0–1
1919Joe Lindsay (player-coach)2–52–5
1920David W. Parrish5–31–3
19216–26–2♯
19220–80–7
19231–51–5
1924Robert S. Galloway1–70–5
1925SIAA1–60–4
1926Dode Phillips1–70–4
19272–4–11–2–1
1928Jakie Todd3–71–5
19297–33–2♮
19302–5–11–2–1
19312–6–31–5–1
19321–80–5
19332–71–5
19341–80–4
19352–6–10–4–1
19364–63–1
19376–45–0‡♯
19381–7–20–3–1
1939SIAA / SAC1–91–5 / 1–3
19401–80–5 / 0–5
1941Jakie Todd / Dode Phillips•2–50–4 / 0–2
1942–1945No football
1946Harry BolickLittle Four0–90–3
1947John D. McMillan7–31–2
19486–40–2
19492–71–1
19504–61–2
19510–8–10–2–1
1952–2020No football
Spring 2021Shap BoydIndependent1–5—
20213–8—
2022SAC2–90-9
20230–110-9
2024GSC0-00-0

• = Interim head coach, † = Conference champions, ‡ = Conference co-champions, ♯ = Little Four champions, ♮ = Little Four co-champions

References

  1. ↑ "Erskine Flying Fleet Brand Guidelines" (PDF). July 1, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  2. ↑ South Atlantic Conference Announces Additions of Barton and Erskine as Associate Members for Football, June 10, 2021, retrieved June 11, 2021
  3. ↑ Shap Boyd Officially Named Head Football Coach, November 15, 2018, retrieved June 15, 2019
  4. ↑ Michael Lananna (February 27, 2021), "Erskine makes history, plays first football game in 70 years — and gets the win", The State, retrieved February 28, 2021
  5. ↑ "A Proud History of Athletics". Erskinecollegesports.com. December 9, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  6. ↑ Scott Adamson (May 27, 2008). "Erskine College tries to gauge interest in restarting football program". Independent Mail. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Parkinson Counts Thrice As Erskine Runs 40 to 6 Victory Through Indians", Greenville News, Greenville, SC, p. 10, November 2, 1929
  8. ↑ What are the Flying Fleet?, retrieved June 15, 2019
  9. ↑ "Coolest college helmets in SC? Erskine football relaunches program dormant since 1951".
  10. ↑ Sapakoff, Gene (October 27, 2016). "Sapakoff: The night tiny Erskine College beat Florida State in football". The Post and Courier. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  11. ↑ "1921 Erskine The Flying Fleet Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  12. ↑ Alishan (December 9, 2011). "A Proud History of Athletics". www.erskinecollegesports.com. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Erskine to Open September 15th", Abbeville Press and Banner, Abbeville, SC, p. 2, August 18, 1915
  14. ↑ "Newberry Plans for Athletics", Newberry Weekly Herald, Newberry, SC, p. 3, August 29, 1913
  15. ↑ "Palmetto Members", Greenville News, Greenville, SC, p. 6, December 13, 1924
  16. ↑ "Hose Take South Atlantic Title", Index-Journal, Greenwood, SC, p. 3, November 21, 1939
  17. ↑ "Mercer Added to South Atlantic Athletic Group", Tampa Tribune, Tampa, FL, p. 22, December 22, 1940
  18. ↑ "Fewer Warmup Games For Football Big Fellows Seen For Next Fall", Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, FL, p. 2, January 26, 1942
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