Yeah, the Tigers are AC’s historic rival and all. You aren’t supposed to have fond feelings for rivals. Trinity, however, has been around forever just like AC, and D3 rivals can’t really afford to act like USC vs. UCLA or Texas vs. Texas A&M. All four of whom, by the way, are younger than AC & Trinity. Respect is just gonna come naturally.
If you spend time digging into centuries of old athletic competition, there will be many times when you’ll read about an opponent and think “who the heck is that?” It’s usually an old school that no longer exists. The landscape is littered with schools of ambition that nevertheless folded when times got tough. That’s especially true about the 19th century, and even more so for those Texas institutions that trace their origin before 1876. The days of the republic, statehood, civil war, and reconstruction were not ideal times for a higher education start up.
Yet Trinity, like AC, pulled it off. AC’s Presbyterian cousin was founded in 1869. The number of schools established before 1876 in Texas can be counted on one hand; AC & Trinity are two of those fingers.
Trinity was born in Tehuacana, TX. What? You’ve never heard of Tehuacana? Why, it’s the booming suburb of the metropolis of Mexia. Shoot, I bet folks from Mexia have never even been to Tehuacana. You know you’re a survivor when you spend three decades in rural Limestone county and refuse to fold. The original Trinity building remains; I told Tiger Dan Monson I’d drop by on a trip to Sherman this year to salute.
Eventually, the isolation of Tehuacana proved to be too much, so the Tigers moved in 1902 to……Waxahachie. Again, not exactly the most obvious of moves. Sure, closer to the growing urban areas of the metroplex. Ellis county is not, however, Dallas or Tarrant. Only the most hearty of Texas Presbyterians could have made it work.
The move to Waxahachie ushered in a golden age of AC-Trinity rivalry that lasted until World War 2. Depression caused yet another crisis at Trinity, and the response of the Tigers was yet another move. After Pearl Harbor thwarted a potential merger with AC, the administration LITERALLY loaded the campus (books, desks, chairs, etc.) onto a fleet of trucks and trains and moved to San Antonio. Now that’s some roll-up-your-sleeves survival. A permanent campus in San Antonio arrived in the 1950s, where the school continues to flourish.
The distance of the move hurt the AC-Trinity rival for a long time, but it’s back today. The Tigers and Roos are conference rivals again. The rivalry is especially fierce in AC Women’s Basketball.
Trinity has been celebrating its 150th anniversary this year with much fanfare, and today is an especially big day. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni will be gathering for an evening of celebration to mark the anniversary. They couldn’t have planned it better. Austin College is coming to town.
Last week, Jack Wylie attended an AC Women’s Basketball game with family. The Roos won; Jack marveled at how good this Roo team is and mentioned that [All American] Bryce Frank “is the real deal.” Not surprisingly the Roos currently find themselves in first place in the SCAC.
Also not surprisingly, defending conference tournament champion Trinity is one game behind in second place. The two meet in San Antonio tonight with a conference regular season championship on the line. Both games (women and men) will take place alongside 150th anniversary celebrations on the Trinity campus.
A 170-year old Presbyterian school competing against its 150-year old Presbyterian rival in San Antonio amidst a celebration of longevity in the state of Texas? That’s how you do it. That’s Roo Tale approved.
Go get ‘em tonight Roos. And a hat tip to those Tigers for making it 150 years.
