In honor of Duke's Centennial, the Blue Zone's Blast from the Past series highlights pivotal figures and events in Blue Devil sports history. This time around, we look back at the time Duke hosted the Rose Bowl at Wallace Wade Stadium:
When college football fans think of prestigious bowl games, the Rose Bowl undoubtedly jumps to mind. The game, which currently stands as the longest-tenured bowl game in college football, has been played annually since 1902, with the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, Calif., hosting the event since 1922. During the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) era between 1998 and 2014, the Rose Bowl hosted four iterations of the National Championship Game, up until the introduction of the College Football Playoff. In every single year other than a COVID-affected outing at AT&T Stadium in 2021, the game has been held in Pasadena, with a parade accompaniment and droves of fans in tow. However, most college football fans may not know that this tradition once came to Durham during World War II when the Blue Devils hosted Oregon State in the 1942 Rose Bowl.
After the events of Pearl Harbor, panic about another possible attack on the United States set in on the West Coast, with president Franklin D. Roosevelt urging the area to stay on high alert. As a result, the Rose Bowl seemed on the verge of getting canceled, as the traditional Rose Bowl Stadium was unavailable for use. That is, until Duke stepped up and head coach Wallace Wade offered to host the game on campus, marking the first time the event left California.
The opponent for the Blue Devils, who were making their second Rose Bowl appearance in 4 years, was a 7-2 Oregon State team, who chose to play despite what The Chronicle then described as the “adolescent objections of West Coast sportswriters.” Amidst all of the chaos that came immediately after Pearl Harbor, the Beavers were adamant about playing in their first ever Rose Bowl, and were evidently even willing to take a train 3,000 miles away from home to hit the gridiron.
After a meeting between the two universities on December 14th, the game was agreed upon by the Rose Bowl Committee and the United States Army, with a date set for Jan. 1, 1942. Immediately, Duke had to make expedited plans to be able to accommodate a game of this magnitude. A major step was increasing the seating capacity of its stadium, as bleachers were borrowed from other nearby universities to make the capacity up to snuff.
Ticketing was also a major problem to solve, as the university decided to sell tickets for the standard $4.40 that Pasadena charged. However, students were able to reserve discounted tickets for $1.65 by going to the gymnasium and showing student identification. Since the game was over winter break, many students changed their holiday plans, with the university reopening dorms early to accommodate them.
The Chronicle had several of its own takes about the university hosting the game, stating, “we are proud that the spirited Blue Devils are appearing in the Rose Bowl,” and later mentioning their appreciation of the Duke squad while calling it “one of the greatest fighting football teams to ever grace an American gridiron.” Columns were also issued regarding different aspects of the Rose Bowl experience, such as “What Of the Band?” which pined for the university to bring the band along to Pasadena before it was announced that the game would be moved to Durham.
As for the game itself, the Blue Devils came in with immense hype and were favored in the nationally-broadcasted heavyweight bout. Wade’s squad entered the game undefeated with the second highest scoring average in the nation and the second slot in the AP poll. With multiple All-Americans on the roster, Duke was a heavy favorite to win its first ever Rose Bowl.
However, gameday itself was not so pretty. Conditions were far from the sunny climate of California, as temperatures sat in the 40s and were accompanied with rain and fog. The on-field product for the Blue Devils was not much better, summarized by The Chronicle’s statement that “Duke won the toss, and that was the only time they were ahead all day.” Oregon State had its way from the opening kickoff, never trailing and leaving Durham with a 20-16 win and the program’s first ever Rose Bowl victory.
Regardless of the result, the 1942 Rose Bowl still stands as one of the most impactful moments in Duke athletics history, as what is now Wallace Wade Stadium had the honor of hosting the most prestigious college football bowl game. The Rose Bowl does not seem to be going away anytime soon, so the Blue Devils will have their unique outing etched into the history of the esteemed contest for years to come.
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