The 1903 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season was the college football games played by the member schools of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association as part of the 1903 college football season. The season began on September 25.

1903 met difficulty in determining an SIAA champion. Clemson had the best record, but lost to an inferior North Carolina team; and in the game to secure the SIAA title were tied by Cumberland. Clemson's John Heisman pushed strongly for Cumberland to share the SIAA title. Cumberland's strongest victory was its win over Vanderbilt.

However, Sewanee beat Cumberland, yet suffered its only loss to Vanderbilt. Heisman originally challenged the winner of the Vanderbilt-Sewanee game. John J. Tigert was a star player for Vanderbilt. Nash Buckingham rated Kentucky University and Vanderbilt as best in the south.

Season overview

Results and team statistics Conf. RankTeamHead coachOverall recordConf. recordPPGPAG1 (tie)Clemson John Heisman4–1–12–0–127.83.71 (tie)Cumberland A. L. Phillips6–1–14–1–1 38.52.23SewaneeGeorge S. Whitney7–15–122.41.24VanderbiltJames H. Henry 6–1–15–1–124.0 2.05Mississippi A&MDaniel S. Martin 3–0–22–0–214.2 1.26GeorgiaMarvin D. Dickinson3–43–29.3 14.07MississippiM. S. Harvey 2–1–11–1–1 8.59.88 TexasRalph Hutchinson5–1–20–0–116.4 3.59Kentucky StateJack Wright7–10–0 10AlabamaW. A. Blount3–43–48.6 16.311AuburnWilliam Penn Bates4–32–317.9 13.112 (tie)TennesseeH. F. Fisher4–52–48.4 12.212 (tie)Georgia TechOliver Huie 4–51–48.4 21.114 (tie)TulaneCharles Eshleman2–2–10–1–112.8 11.214 (tie)Mercer 0–10–1 0.046.016NashvilleWreidt/Bradley Walker/Childress 2–2 0–210.8 5.317LSUW. S. Borland4–50–4 7.810.3 Key

PPG = Average of points scored per game PAG = Average of points allowed per game

Regular season Index to colors and formattingNon-conference matchup; SIAA member wonNon-conference matchup; SIAA member lostNon-conference matchup; tieConference matchup SIAA teams in bold.

Week One Date Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance ReferenceSeptember 25CynthianaKentucky StateState College Park • Lexington, KYW 39–0

Week Two Date Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance ReferenceOctober 3Montgomery Athletic ClubAuburnDrill Field • Auburn, ALW 26–0 October 3CumberlandVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNCUM 6–0 October 3MooneySewaneeHardee Field • Sewanee, TNW 23–0 October 3Texas Deaf SchoolTexasVarsity Athletic Field • Austin, TXW 17–0 October 3TennesseeBaldwin Park • Knoxville, TNW 17–0

Week Three Date Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance ReferenceOctober 9HaskellTexasState Fairgrounds • Dallas, TXL 6–03,000October 10ClemsonGeorgiaHerty Field • Athens, GACLEM 29–0 October 10MercerGeorgia TechPiedmont Park • Atlanta, GAGT 46–0 October 10TennesseeBaldwiin Park • Knoxville, TNW 38–0 October 10AlabamaVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNVAN 30–01,000October 10Kentucky StateState College Park • Lexington, KYW 17–0

Week Four Date Time Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance ReferenceOctober 14 LSU AlumniLSUState Field • Baton Rouge, LAW 16–0 October 16 AlabamaMississippi A&MColumbus Fairgrounds • Columbus, MSMSA&M 11–05,000October 17 Howard (AL)AuburnDrill Field • Auburn, ALW 58–0 October 17 ClemsonGeorgia TechPiedmont Park • Atlanta, GACLEM 73–0 October 17 Kentucky Military InstituteKentucky StateState College Park • Lexington, KYW 18–0 October 17 OklahomaTexasVarsity Athletic Field • Austin, TXT 6–6 October 17 South CarolinaGeorgiaHerty Field • Athens, GAL 27–7 October 17 TennesseeVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNVAN 40–0 October 17 NashvilleMooney SchoolMooney Field • Murfreesboro, TNL 5–17 October 203:00 p. m.CumberlandSewaneeHardee Field • Sewanee, TNSEW 6–0

Week Five Date Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance ReferenceOctober 23AuburnAlabamaRiverside Park • Montgomery, ALALA 18–01,200October 24GeorgiaGeorgia TechPiedmont Park • Atlanta, GAUGA 38–0 October 24BaylorTexasVarsity Athletic Field • Austin, TXW 48–0 October 24Ole MissVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNVAN 33–0 October 24Mississippi A&MMeridian Athletic ClubMeridian, MSW 43–0 October 24Eagles-New OrleansLSUState Field • Baton Rouge, LAW 33–0 October 24Miami (OH)Kentucky StateState College Park • Lexington, KYW 47–0 October 24Tennessee DocsSewaneeHardee Field • Sewanee, TNW 52–0

Week Six Date Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance ReferenceOctober 28North Carolina A&MClemsonColumbia, SCW 24–0 October 29TennesseeSouth CarolinaState Fairgrounds • Columbia, SCL 0–24 October 30LSULouisiana IndustrialRuston, LAW 16–0 October 30ArkansasTexasVarsity Athletic Field • Austin, TXW 15–0800October 31LSUShreveport Athletic AssociationBall Park • Shreveport, LAW 5–0 October 31Georgia TechHoward (AL)West End Park • Birmingham, ALW 37–0 October 31SewaneeAuburnOak Park • Montgomery, ALSEW 47–0 October 31TennesseeNashvillePeabody Field • Nashville, TNTENN 10–0 October 31VanderbiltGeorgiaBrisbine Park • Atlanta, GAVAN 33–0 October 31Meridian Athletic ClubTulaneAthletic Park • New Orleans, LAW 46–0400November 2SewaneeAlabamaWest End Park • Birmingham, ALSEW 23–02,400November 2Kentucky StateState College Park • Lexington, KYW 51–0 November 2Tennessee DocsCumberlandLebanon, TNW 86–0

Week Seven Date Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance ReferenceNovember 6VanderbiltTexasVarsity Athletic Field • Austin, TXT 5–51,200November 7GeorgiaTennesseeBaldwin Park • Knoxville, TNUGA 5–0 November 7SewaneeNashvillePeabody Field • Nashville, TNSEW 6–0 November 7Florida State CollegeGeorgia TechPiedmont Park • Atlanta, GAW 17–0 November 7Shreveport Athletic ClubTulane Athletic Park • New Orleans, LAL 0–23 November 7Kentucky StateState College Park • Lexington, KYW 11–0 November 7Ole MissTennessee DocsRed Elm Park • Memphis, TNW 17–0 November 7LSUMississippi A&MStarkville Fairgrounds • Starkville, MSMSA&M 11–0 November 7CumberlandLebanon, TNW 92–0 November 9LSUAlabamaThe Quad • Tuscaloosa, ALALA 18–0

Week Eight Date Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance ReferenceNovember 11LSUAuburnDrill Field • Auburn, ALAUB 12–0 November 13TexasOklahomaColcord Park • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma TerritoryW 11–5 November 13Tennessee MedicosNashvillePeabody Field • Nashville, TNW 26–0 November 14AuburnGeorgia TechPiedmont Park • Atlanta, GAAUB 10–5 November 14CumberlandAlabamaThe Quad • Tuscaloosa, ALCUM 44–0 November 14ClemsonNorth CarolinaCampus Athletic Field • Chapel Hill, NCL 6–11 November 14SewaneeTennesseeBaldwin Park • Knoxville, TNSEW 17–0 November 14Washington UniversityVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNW 41–0 November 14GeorgiaSavannah Athletic AssociationBolton Street Park • Savannah, GAL 0–6 November 14Mississippi A&MOle MissUniversity Park • Oxford, MST 6–6 November 16CumberlandLSUState Field • Baton Rouge, LACUM 41–0

Week Nine Date Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance ReferenceNovember 18CumberlandTulaneAthletic Park • New Orleans, LACUM 28–0 November 21ClemsonDavidsonLatta Park • Charlotte, NCW 24–0 November 21Georgia TechTennesseeBaldwin Park • Knoxville, TNTENN 11–0 November 21Ole MissLSUAthletic Park • New Orleans, LALSU 11–0 November 21SewaneeVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNVAN 10–54,000

Week Ten Date Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance ReferenceNovember 26TennesseeAlabamaWest End Park • Birmingham, ALALA 24–0 November 26AuburnGeorgiaBrisbine Park • Atlanta, GAUGA 22–13 November 26South CarolinaGeorgia TechPiedmont Park • Atlanta, GAL 0–16 November 26Kentucky UniversityKentucky StateSouth Side Park • Lexington, KYL 0–17 November 26RichmondTulaneAthletic Field • New Orleans, LAW 18–5 November 29Texas A&MTexasVarsity Athletic Field • Austin, TXW 29–6

Week Eleven Date Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance ReferenceDecember 5Mississippi A&MTulaneAthletic Field • New Orleans, LAT 0–0

Postseason

SIAA Championship Game Date TimeVisiting team Home team Site Result Attendance Reference November 26 3:00 p. m. Cumberland Clemson Oak Park • Montgomery, AL T 11–11

All-Southern team

Walker Reynolds Tichenor's All-Southern team:Fuzzy Woodruff's A History of Southern Football PositionNameTeamQBJohn MaxwellClemsonHBJohn J. TigertVanderbiltHBJ. C. AndersonCumberlandFBJock HanveyClemsonEBob BlakeVanderbiltTJoseph Lee Kirby-SmithSewaneeGHenry D. PhillipsSewaneeCRed SmithCumberlandGPuss DerrickClemsonG/TMarvin O. BridgesCumberlandECarl SittonClemson

References