In July 2007, the Nashville Sports Council and the Ohio Valley Conference announced the creation of the Sergeant York Trophy which goes to the winner of the season football series between the Ohio Valley Conference football-playing schools located in the state of Tennessee – Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University and the University of Tennessee at Martin.
The award is named in honor of Alvin C. York, the most noted Soldier of World War I. As a corporal in the 2nd battalion, 328th Infantry, in the Battle of the Meuse River-Argonne (Oct. 8, 1918), York and seven other soldiers captured 132 prisoners, was promoted to sergeant and received the Distinguished Service Cross, the French Croix de Guerre, the French Legion of Honor, the Croce di Guerra of Italy and the War Medal of Montenegro. Upon his return to the United States in 1919, he was bestowed the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Following the war York returned his home in Pall Mall, Tenn. (located in north central Tennessee, 55 miles northeast of Cookeville) where he dedicated his life to improving education and facilitating educational opportunities for children in the state of Tennessee. In 1927 he established the Alvin C. York Institute after spending several years raising money for the school which opened as a private institution. That school was established, in part, to provide educational opportunities denied to the boys and girls of Fentress Country. In 1937, the Institute became a state special school after an appeal to the Tennessee State Legislature. The school, located in Jamestown, Tenn., is still in operation today.
York died on Sept. 2, 1964 and the foundation which he helped establish in 1920 – The Sergeant York Patriotic Foundation – was dormant for many years. The Foundation was re-established by Lipscomb Davis, Jr. in 1992 and is currently run by Sgt. York’s grandson Gerald (U.S. Army Colonel, Retired). York’s papers are archived by Michael E. Birdwell, Ph.D., who is an associate professor of history at Tennessee Technological University, one of the four institutions that will compete for the yearly honor.
After the completion of the football season, the Sergeant York Trophy is awarded to the institution with the best head-to-head record in the match-ups with their fellow Tennessee schools. In the event of a tie, the award is shared; however, the previous winner will retain the trophy if they are part of the tie. If the tie is between two other institutions, the trophy will go to the institution that has gone the most seasons without winning the trophy.
Related Links
• Sergeant York Foundation - http://www.sgtyork.org
• Sergeant York Project - http://www.sergeantyorkproject.com
• Nashville Sports Council - http://www.nashvillesports.com
• Ohio Valley Conference - http://www.ovcsports.com
• Tennessee State Athletics - http://www.tsutigers.com
• Tennessee Tech Athletics - http://www.ttusports.com
• UT Martin Athletics - http://www.utmsports.com
All-Time Sgt. York Trophy Game Stats
• Stats Link
Total Championships (Outright + Shared)
UT Martin - 11
Tennessee State - 8
Tennessee Tech - 5
Austin Peay - 4
All-Time Sgt. York Trophy Winners
2007 - Tennessee State*, Austin Peay
2008 - Tennessee State
2009 - Tennessee Tech
2010 - UT Martin
2011 - Tennessee State*, Tennessee Tech
2012 - Tennessee State*, UT Martin
2013 - Tennessee State
2014 - UT Martin
2015 - UT Martin
2016 - UT Martin*, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech
2017 - Austin Peay
2018 - Austin Peay*, Tennessee State, UT Martin
2019 - Austin Peay*, Tennessee State, UT Martin
2020 - Tennessee Tech*, UT Martin
2021 - UT Martin
2022 - UT Martin
2023 - UT Martin
2024 - Tennessee Tech
2025 - TBD
*Took home the trophy due to winning the tiebreaker
Sgt. York Game Records (after 2024 season)
UT Martin: 37-14
Tennessee State: 24-27
Tennessee Tech: 21-30
Austin Peay: 17-28
All-Time Sgt. York Trophy Game Results
2007
Sept. 15 - Tennessee State 33, @Austin Peay 32 (OT)
Sept. 22 - @ Austin Peay 17, UT Martin 14
Sept. 27 - Tennessee Tech 13, @UT Martin 10
Oct. 6 - Austin Peay 30, @Tennessee Tech 27
Oct. 11 - Tennessee State 45, @Tennessee Tech 28
Nov. 17 - UT Martin 43, @Tennessee State 38
2008
Sept. 20 - UT Martin 31, @Austin Peay 17
Oct. 4 - Tennessee State 30, @UT Martin 27 (OT)
Oct. 16 - UT Martin 35, @Tennessee Tech 7
Oct. 18 - @Tennessee State 37, Austin Peay 34
Oct. 25 - @Austin Peay 31, Tennessee Tech 28
Nov. 1 - @Tennessee State 41, Tennessee Tech 14
2009
Oct. 3 - @Tennessee Tech 31, Austin Peay 23
Oct. 10 - Tennessee Tech 35, @UT Martin 28
Oct. 31 - @Tennessee Tech 20, Tennessee State 13
Nov. 7 - UT Martin 28, @Tennessee State 7
Nov. 14 - @Austin Peay 24, Tennessee State 21
Nov. 21 - @UT Martin 48, Austin Peay 38
2010
Sept. 18 - Austin Peay 26, @Tennessee State 23
Sept. 30 - UT Martin 27, @Tennessee Tech 24
Oct. 9 - Tennessee Tech 34, @Austin Peay 21
Oct. 23 - Tennessee Tech 21, @Tennessee State 10
Nov. 6 - UT Martin 28, @Austin Peay 12
Nov. 13 - @UT Martin 37, Tennessee State 0
2011
Oct. 1 - @Austin Peay 37, Tennessee State 34
Oct. 1 - Tennessee Tech 34, @UT Martin 31
Oct. 8 - @UT Martin 61, Austin Peay 23
Oct. 15 - Tennessee State 42, @Tennessee Tech 40
Nov. 12 - @Tennessee State 35, UT Martin 30
Nov. 19 - @Tennessee Tech 49, Austin Peay 7
2012
Sept. 15 - @Tennessee State 34, Austin Peay 14
Sept. 22 - UT Martin 31, @Austin Peay 6
Oct. 27 - @Tennessee State 22, Tennessee Tech 21
Nov. 10 - @Tennessee Tech 45, UT Martin 44 (OT)
Nov. 17 - @Austin Peay 38, Tennessee Tech 31
Nov. 17 - @UT Martin 35, Tennessee State 26
2013
Sept. 21 - Tennessee State 41, @Tennessee Tech 21
Oct. 10 - UT Martin 28, @Tennessee Tech 17
Oct. 19 - Tennessee State 29, @UT Martin 15
Oct. 26 - UT Martin 38, @Austin Peay 14
Nov. 9 - @Tennessee State 31, Austin Peay 6
Nov. 23 - @Tennessee Tech 34, Austin Peay 0
2014
Sept. 20 - @Tennessee State 10, Tennessee Tech 7
Oct. 9 - @UT Martin 17, Tennessee Tech 10
Oct. 18 - UT Martin 21, @Tennessee State 16
Oct. 25 - @UT Martin 37, Austin Peay 7
Nov. 8 - Tennessee State 31, @Austin Peay 27
Nov. 22 - Tennessee Tech 41, @Austin Peay 15
2015
Oct. 3 - UT Martin 31, @Tennessee Tech 17
Oct. 10 - @UT Martin 28, Tennessee State 14
Oct. 17 - UT Martin 44, @Austin Peay 14
Oct. 31 - @Tennessee State 20, Austin Peay 6
Nov. 14 - @Tennessee Tech 42, Austin Peay 24
Nov. 21 - @Tennessee Tech 30, Tennessee State 24
2016
Sept. 10 - Tennessee Tech 41, @Austin Peay 7
Sept. 24 - @UT Martin 44, Tennessee Tech 23
Oct. 1 - @Tennessee State 34, UT Martin 30
Oct. 8 - @UT Martin 45, Austin Peay 31
Nov. 5 - Tennessee State 41, @Austin Peay 40
Nov. 12 - Tennessee Tech 44, @Tennessee State 16
2017
Sept. 23 - @UT Martin 31, Tennessee State 16
Sept. 30 - @Austin Peay 7, UT Martin 0
Oct. 14 - Austin Peay 21, @Tennessee State 17
Oct. 28 - @Tennessee Tech 30, Tennessee State 26
Nov. 4 - Austin Peay 35, @Tennessee Tech 28
Nov. 18 - UT Martin 24, @Tennessee Tech 0
2018
Sept. 22 - @UT Martin 37, Austin Peay 7
Oct. 6 - @Austin Peay 49, Tennessee State 34
Oct. 20 - @Tennessee State 41, Tennessee Tech 14
Oct. 27 - @Austin Peay 41, Tennessee Tech 10
Nov. 10 - @UT Martin 38, Tennessee Tech 13
Nov. 17 - @Tennessee State 31, UT Martin 28 (OT)
2019
Oct. 12 - UT Martin 56, @Tennessee Tech 14
Oct. 19 - @Tennessee State 26, Austin Peay 24
Oct. 26 - Austin Peay 58, @Tennessee Tech 21
Nov. 9 - @Austin Peay 38, UT Martin 24
Nov. 16 - @UT Martin 28, Tennessee State 7
Nov. 23 - Tennessee State 37, @Tennessee Tech 27
2020
Feb. 21 - @Tennessee Tech 27, Austin Peay 21
Feb. 28 - @Austin Peay 27, Tennessee State 20
Mar. 21 - UT Martin 37, @Austin Peay 34
Mar. 28 - @Tennessee State 26, UT Martin 24
Apr. 3 - @Tennessee Tech 24, Tennessee State 10
Apr. 11 - @UT Martin 40, Tennessee Tech 7
2021
Oct. 16 - @Tennessee State 20, Tennessee Tech 13 (OT)
Oct. 30 - @UT Martin 17, Austin Peay 16
Nov. 6 - @UT Martin 41, Tennessee State 20
Nov. 13 - UT Martin 42, @Tennessee Tech 3
Nov. 13 - Austin Peay 36, @Tennessee State 7
Nov. 20 - @Austin Peay 48, Tennessee Tech 20
2022
Oct. 1 - @UT Martin 45, Tennessee Tech 28
Oct. 15 - Tennessee State 30, @Tennessee Tech 14
Nov. 12 - UT Martin 20, @Tennessee State 3
2023
Sept. 30 - @UT Martin 20, Tennessee State 10
Nov. 4 - UT Martin 44, @Tennessee Tech 41 (OT)
Nov. 18 - Tennessee Tech 35, @Tennessee State 0
2024
Sept. 21 - @Tennessee Tech 24, Tennessee State 14
Nov. 2 - UT Martin 28, @Tennessee State 21
Nov. 16 - Tennessee Tech 10, @UT Martin 9
2025
Sept. 27 - Tennessee Tech at Tennessee State
Nov. 8 - Tennessee State at UT Martin
Nov. 22 - UT Martin at Tennessee Tech
