Sport | Football |
---|---|
First meeting | 1884 Williams, 15–2 |
Latest meeting | November 11, 2023 Amherst, 21–14 |
Next meeting | November 9, 2024 |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 137 |
All-time series | Williams leads, 75–57–5 [1] |
Largest victory | Amherst, 60–0 (1892) |
Longest win streak | Williams, 8 (1987–1994) |
Longest unbeaten streak | Williams, 13 (1987–1999) |
Current win streak | Amherst, 1 (2023–present) |
Locations in Massachusetts |
The Biggest Little Game in America is an American college football rivalry featuring the Amherst Mammoths and the Williams Ephs. Both programs play in the Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference. With the exception of a few hiatuses, the series has been played annually since 1884, making it the most played Division III rivalry game, and the fourth most played NCAA game at any level. Williams leads the all-time series 75–57–5. [2]
This section's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia.(March 2015) |
The storied rivalry between Amherst College and Williams College predates the advent of American football, having its roots in the early 19th century with the establishment of Amherst College in 1821. Notably, the rivalry was catalyzed by the actions of Zephaniah Swift Moore, who served as the president of Williams College at the time. Moore's persistent belief that Williamstown, the location of Williams College, was too remote led to the inception of this enduring competition. Failing to orchestrate the relocation of Williams College, President Moore opted to embark on the formation of a new educational institution in Amherst, MA. In doing so, a faction of professors and students from Williams College joined him in this endeavor, subsequently leading to the establishment of Amherst College. This decisive turn of events sowed the seeds of a long-standing and fervent rivalry between the two institutions, which has persisted to this day. [3]
This rivalry extends beyond football, and tensions between Amherst College and Williams College have consistently remained high over the years. To further emphasize the significance of this competition, both institutions, in conjunction with Wesleyan University, partake in the "Little Three" series. This series serves as a deliberate nod to the more renowned "Big Three" grouping that traditionally comprises Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
Notably, the November 10, 2007, contest between Amherst College and Williams College, hosted in Williamstown, achieved noteworthy recognition as the selected location for ESPN's College GameDay . [4] This particular event holds historical significance as the first instance in which the program visited and highlighted a Division III school. Moreover, in 2003, the Amherst-Williams rivalry earned its place of distinction when it was included in ESPN's Page 2 bracket, celebrating the best college football rivalries. [5]
On November 11, 2017, another memorable chapter was added to the rivalry's annals, as Williams College triumphed over Amherst in a game held in Williamstown. The victory was secured in a thrilling overtime contest, culminating in a score of 31–24. This overtime outcome marked only the second occurrence of overtime play in the storied history of this enduring and fiercely contested rivalry.
The first intercollegiate baseball game was played between Amherst and Williams in 1859. In that game, which lasted nearly four hours, Amherst defeated Williams by the score of 73–32. [6]
Amherst victories | Williams victories | Tie games |
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The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising sports teams from eleven highly selective liberal arts institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The eleven institutions are Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Tufts University, Trinity College, Wesleyan University, and Williams College.
The Army–Navy Game is an American college football rivalry game between the Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, and the Navy Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis, Maryland. The Black Knights, or Cadets, and Midshipmen each represent their service's oldest officer commissioning sources. As such, the game has come to embody the spirit of the interservice rivalry of the United States Armed Forces. The game marks the end of the college football regular season and the third and final game of the season's Commander-in-Chief's Trophy series, which also includes the Air Force Falcons of the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) near Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The Little Three is a term started by and used in reference to athletic competition between three private liberal arts colleges in the New England region of the United States: Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
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Weston Field Athletic Complex is a Williams College facility and home of the Williams Ephs football team in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. Although primarily used for American football, the complex also hosts the home fields for the Williams College track & field, lacrosse and field hockey programs. Renovations completed in 2014 include artificial turf surfaces, a new grandstand, an addition for field hockey, a new track, lighting for the fields and a large support building. Weston Field biennially hosts the Williams-Amherst football game, known as The Biggest Little Game in America, the most-played Division III football rivalry game and the only Division III game to have hosted College GameDay.
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The Arkansas–Ole Miss football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Arkansas Razorbacks football team of the University of Arkansas and the Ole Miss Rebels football team of the University of Mississippi. The teams first met in 1908, and have played each other every year since 1981. Arkansas leads the series, which includes two wins by Ole Miss in postseason bowl games, the 1963 and 1970 Sugar Bowls.
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The Williams Ephs are the varsity intercollegiate athletic programs of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
The Williams Ephs football program represent Williams College of Williamstown, Massachusetts in the sport of college football. The football team is coached by Mark Raymond, who has held the position since the start of the 2016 season. The team plays at Weston Field on campus. The team has had 16 players named to the Division III All-America Team since 1974. The program began varsity play in 1881. As a NESCAC football team, the program is not permitted to play non-conference games or to participate in the NCAA Tournament.
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