November 25 is a historic date in football defined by iconic firsts, punishing weather, and record-shattering individual performances. It marks the very first Homecoming game (Missouri vs. Kansas in 1911) and the legendary Snow Bowl (Ohio State vs. Michigan in 1950), which took place on the same day as the CFL’s infamous Mud Bowl. From the birth of cherished traditions to the setting of modern NFL records by Lamar Jackson and Philip Rivers, this day encompasses the entire spectrum of gridiron history. Discover the day Pat Sullivan won Auburn’s first Heisman, an NFL team won its only game, and John Madden and Pat Summerall teamed up for the first time.

November 25: From the First Homecoming to the Snow Bowl and Record-Breaking TDs

The date’s enduring legacy began in 1911, when the Missouri vs. Kansas game was recognized as the first-ever Homecoming contest, establishing a beloved national tradition. Four decades later, in 1950, football was played in famously grueling weather, giving us both the Snow Bowl (Michigan/Ohio State) and the Mud Bowl (Grey Cup).

Individual excellence shines brightly on November 25. In 1951, Cleveland halfback Dub Jones tied an NFL record with six touchdowns against the Chicago Bears. That record-setting pace continued into the modern era, with Philip Rivers setting an NFL record by completing 25 consecutive passes in 2018, and Lamar Jackson becoming the first quarterback in league history to reach 3,000 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards in his first two seasons (2019). The day also features two significant milestones: Auburn’s Pat Sullivan became the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner in 1971, and the iconic broadcast duo of John Madden and Pat Summerall called their first game together in 1979.

Championship drama and huge upsets litter the calendar: the Dallas Texans won their only game in franchise history on Thanksgiving 1952, and the Grey Cup has crowned numerous champions, including the Toronto Argonauts in the historic 100th edition (2012). Furthermore, November 25 celebrates the birthdays of three Pro Football Hall of Famers: running back Lenny Moore, wide receiver Cris Carter, and Super Bowl-winning coach Joe Gibbs.

November 25 Football History Headlines

November 25, 1911 – Columbia, Missouri – The football game between Missouri and Kansas is considered the first homecoming game. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch covered the day’s festivities, stating that Coach Chester Brewer invited alumni to “come home” for the game, which included parades, bands, and more. The people enjoyed it so much that a tradition was born. Due to the poor weather in the days leading up to the game, the administrators had 86 bales worth of straw on the field to act as a covering of sorts. The straw was removed just before game time, and though the weather was now pleasant, the field was not. The game drew so much interest across the state that it had an almost play-by-play “broadcast” sent via telegraph to fans in Lawrence, Kansas.

November 25, 1911 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The 3rd Grey Cup was played, with the Toronto Varsity Blues winning their third consecutive title by defeating the Toronto Argonauts 14-7, per the CanadianFootball.fandom website. 

November 25, 1944 – Civic Stadium, Hamilton – The 32nd Grey Cup was played, with the St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy defeating the Hamilton Flying Wildcats by the score of 7-6, per the American Football Fandom site. 

November 25, 1950 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The 38th edition of the CFL Grey Cup was played per the amp. Blog-shops web page. This game is often called the “Mud Bowl” because of the sloppy field conditions that day. It was the Toronto Argonauts who won, claiming the franchise’s 9th title in a shutout victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 13-0. 

November 25, 1950 – While it was muddy up North in Canada, the weather was a tad more wintry in the US Midwest. The Snow Bowl version of “The Game” took place during the annual Wolverines-Buckeyes reunion.

November 25, 1951 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium – The Chicago Bears traveled to face the reigning champion Cleveland Browns, per the grayflannelsuit.com website. It was a record-setting day.   Cleveland halfback Dub Jones tied the NFL record for most touchdowns in a game as he punched through the Bears’ defense six times to find paydirt in the Browns’ 42-21 win versus the Bears. The most tired team on the field had to be the officials, who threw flags and handed out penalties like it was Halloween candy. The Cleveland Browns were penalized a record 209 yards on 21 offenses, while Chicago had 16 penalties for 165 yards.

November 25, 1952 – Dallas, Texas – Thanksgiving games in Dallas are not just a current-era phenomenon. The Dallas Texans hosted one during a dismal 1952 season against a good Chicago Bears team. ESPN.com has a pretty good story on the game that says, before the game, instead of the usual warmups and such, the Texans players went up into the stands to thank the fans for coming. Up to that point, the Texans team had not smelled victory for the season. The air was so chilly that day that the players had set up burn barrels on each end of the bench area to keep their hands warm. They always say don’t count the home team out in a Thanksgiving Day battle, and that may have started in this very game, when the NFL’s Dallas Texans won their only game on this day, beating the Bears 27-23. 

November 25, 1971– New York City – The 37th Heisman Trophy was awarded to Auburn’s Quarterback Pat Sullivan. According to the website Heisman.com, this was, unbelievably, the first time an Auburn University player had ever received the prestigious award, which usually goes to the nation’s top college player. Remember, Coach John Heisman coached the Tigers during his illustrious career.  Sullivan led the nation with 2,856 yards of total offense as a junior. His 1971 Senior season was special too, for his 2,012 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. The voting was close, with Cornell’s outstanding running back Ed Marinaro a close second.

November 25, 1973 – CNE Stadium, Vancouver – The 61st CFL Grey Cup was played, with the Ottawa Rough Riders earning their 8th Championship by defeating the Edmonton Eskimos by the score of 22-18, per cbc.ca. Charlie Brandon was the Most Valuable Player, and Garry Lefebvre was the Most Valuable Canadian.

November 25, 1976 – The Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson rushed for 276 yards against the Detroit Lions. The Buffalo News story gives all the action in the game, and from it, we gather that Simpson’s 273 yards came on 29 carries during this Thanksgiving Day game against the Detroit Lions. The Juice also broke one of Jim Brown’s NFL records by rushing for a fifth game of 200 yards or more during his career. The yardage wasn’t enough, though, for the Bills as Detroit rolled to a 27-14 win in the contest.

November 25, 1979 – Olympic Stadium, Montreal – The CFL 67th Grey Cup game was played, as told by the New York Times. The Edmonton Eskimos retained the CFL Championship by knocking off the  Montreal Alouettes, 17-9. The MVP of the game was running back David Green, and the Most Valuable Canadian was awarded to Tom Cousineau.  Interesting tidbit.. David Green attended my alma mater, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/26/archives/edmonton-captures-grey-cup-again-mobile-and-strongarmed.html

On November 25, 1979, it was the first time the broadcast team of John Madden and Pat Summerall was in the same booth for a game, marking 22 years of their great announcing together, per the classic sports.com site.  You may want to check out our conversation on the broadcast tandem:

November 25, 1988 – Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama – The 53rd Iron Bowl was played, and the Auburn Tigers claimed victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide by the close score of 15-10, per onthisday.com.

November 25, 1989 – Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida – The Miami Hurricanes ended Notre Dame’s all-time longest winning streak of 23 games by defeating the Irish 27-10, per the Irishlegends.com site. 

November 25, 1990 – BC Place, Vancouver – The 78th Grey Cup to determine the Champion of the CFL was played. The Edmonton Eskimos and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers faced off to play for the cup that year. It was the Blue Bombers who came out on top in a wide margin of 50-11 on the scoreboard. The offensive Most Valuable Player was Tom Burgess, while Greg Battle was the Defensive MVP of the game. The Most Valuable Canadian was Warren Hudson.

November 25, 2001 – Olympic Stadium, Montreal – The 89th battle for the Grey Cup was played. It was the Calgary Stampeders who took their 5th Championship in team history as they outlasted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 27-19. Marcus Crandell was the game’s MVP, and Aldi Henry took home the Most Valuable Canadian award.

November 25, 2007 – Rogers Centre, Toronto – Saskatchewan Roughriders won their 3rd title in the 95th Grey Cup Championship game of the CFL, per the Grey Cup’s website. The Roughriders squeaked past the  Winnipeg Blue Bombers by the score of 23-19. DB James Johnson sealed the deal of victory for Saskatchewan as he picked off a Bombers pass with a mere 54 seconds remaining on the clock. Roughriders receiver Andy Fantuz was named the game’s Most Outstanding Canadian. The Most Valuable Player was awarded to James Johnson, not just for his interception at the end of the game, but also for his two other picks, which set a Grey Cup record for a single player.

November 25, 2012 – Rogers Centre, Toronto – Per the National Post’s story, the Toronto Argonauts overcame the Calgary Stampeders by the final score of 35-22 in the 100th Grey Cup. The Argos owner, David Braley, entered the record books as the first owner to win back-to-back Grey Cups with 2 different teams, as he held the rights to the 2011 champion BC Lions franchise. Boatmen running back Chad Kackert earned the MVP award after posting almost 200 yards of total offense.

November 25, 2018 – Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta – The Calgary Stampeders outscored the Ottawa RedBlacks, 27-16, to claim the CFL Championship game in the 106th playing of the Grey Cup.  It was the Calgary franchise’s 8th Cup victory. Stampeder Terry Williams scores a record 97-yard punt-return touchdown just before halftime to highlight the scoring for the game. The third time was truly the charm for the Calgary squad, as they had lost the previous two Grey Cup games. (source)

November 25, 2018 – LA Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers sets an NFL single-game record, completing 25 straight passes in a 45-10 win v. the Arizona Cardinals; Mark Brunell & David Carr previously shared the record (22); also sets an NFL record for best single-game completion % (96.6).  

November 25, 2019 – Quarterback Lamar Jackson, in just his second season in the League, became the first QB in NFL history to throw for at least 3,000 passing yards and rush for 1,500 yards in his first 2 NFL seasons. The Ravens flexed their muscles in a 45-6 blowout against the LA Rams.

November 25 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays

• Johnny Kitzmiller
• George Webster
• Lenny Moore
• Joe Gibbs
• Cris Carter

Conclusion

From the sticky straw fields of the inaugural Homecoming game to the modern records set by today’s superstars, November 25 has consistently delivered historic firsts and career-defining performances. This date is a time capsule of legendary games—be it the Snow Bowl, the Mud Bowl, or Miami ending Notre Dame’s win streak—and the birth of Hall of Fame talent like Cris Carter and Joe Gibbs, solidifying its importance in the fabric of football history.

Big thanks to the resource of Pro-Football-Reference.com.