By Darin 
November 30 is a monumental date in the football calendar, consistently delivering historic championships, Heisman-winning performances, and paradigm-shifting administrative moves. This day is famous for the legendary Iron Bowl’s most dramatic finish—the “Kick Six”—alongside major CFL Grey Cup showdowns and three different Heisman Trophy announcements (Clint Frank, Alan Ameche, Tony Dorsett). Dive into the past to explore how pioneers like Coach Bill Walsh and two-sport phenom Bo Jackson were born, and how the AFL was set on a collision course with the NFL by its first commissioner, Joe Foss.
November 30 Football History Headlines
November 30, 1893, it was only the 2nd time these two schools met on the gridiron. Still, the early Tigers seemed to have figured out the game, as Auburn thwarted Alabama 40-16 before a crowd in Montgomery, Alabama, in the second Iron Bowl. According to ncaa.com, the first Iron Bowl was played earlier that year on February 22, 1983.
November 30, 1905 – One of the most legendary games ever played took place as Chicago hosted Michigan in the original Game of the Century.
November 30, 1912 – AAA Grounds, Hamilton. Ontario – The home team, Hamilton Alerts, won their only Canadian title by surviving the Toronto Argonauts, 11-4, in the 4th time the Grey Cup was played per Onthisday.com.
November 30, 1924 – This day marked the end of the NFL season, and with it, the Cleveland Bulldogs had a slightly better record than the Chicago Bears, so in an era without a postseason, the Dogs were the champs. According to the American Football Database, the Bears were unsettled by this and challenged Cleveland to a postseason rematch. The Bears won the postseason contest just as they had in 1921, when they challenged Buffalo All-Americans, who had the best record. Still, George Halas and company declared themselves champs after winning the challenge. This time, when they did it in 1924, the NFL stepped in and declared that any games played after November 30, 1924, were merely exhibition games and did not count against the 1924 NFL season. So the 1924 National Football League Champions were the Cleveland Bulldogs. Make sure you read on below in our Hall of Fame Birthday segments to learn about one of these Bulldogs’ top players.
November 30, 1935 – An exciting game between Southern Methodist and Texas Christian played out during Rivalry Week. Check out this story.
November 30, 1929 – AAA Grounds, Hamilton – On this day, the Hamilton Tigers won their 4th title, outscoring the Regina Roughriders 14-3 in the 17th edition of the Canadian Grey Cup.
November 30, 1937 – The 3rd time the Heisman Trophy was awarded, it went to Clint Frank, the halfback from Yale University. Heisman.com has a great photo on their site, available at the Link in their name, of the official ballot for this 1937 vote.
November 30, 1940 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The website cbc.ca tells us that Ottawa defeated Toronto Balmy Beach, 8-2 in this controversial and unique Grey Cup Contest. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were not able to play in the game to defend their title due to a rules dispute with the League. So the powers that be initiated a two-game Grey Cup to determine a winner. Both games were played in heavy snow, and Ottawa came out the other side as the Champs.
November 30, 1946 – Irish clinch the first of two straight national titles by romping past USC 26-6 at Notre Dame Stadium. (source)
November 30, 1946 – The Annual Army-Navy game had National Championship implications, read on below.
November 30, 1946, CFL Grey Cup, Varsity Stadium, Toronto: Toronto Argonauts claim 7th Championship and retain title with 28-6 win over Winnipeg Blue Bombers
November 30, 1954 – The 20th Heisman Trophy Award went to Alan Ameche, the University of Wisconsin Fullback. Ameche was a rugged, tough runner, which earned him the nickname “The Iron Horse,” according to Heisman.com. The site’s bio on Alan also states that Ameche earned All-American honors for the third time as a senior, rushing for 641 yards and nine touchdowns while again playing both offense and defense and averaging 55 minutes of playing time per game. He finished his career as the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher with 3,345 yards and was awarded the Heisman Trophy over Kurt Burris of Oklahoma and Howard Cassady of Ohio State.
November 30, 1957 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – In the 45th Grey Cup final, it was the Hamilton Tiger-Cats who took home their 2nd CFL title after they dispatched the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 32-7. The website cfl.ca has the full recap of the story.
November 30, 1957 -Legion Field, Birmingham – The 22nd Iron Bowl was an extremely one-sided affair as the Auburn Tigers dominated Alabama 40-0, as shared by Onthisday.com.
November 30, 1959 – The fledgling American Football League chooses former World War II ace pilot and former Governor of South Dakota, Joe Foss, as its first commissioner, per the South Dakota HOF website. Joe Foss’s leadership made the NFL extremely uncomfortable as he made lucrative television deals, including the initial five-year, $10.6 million contract with ABC in 1960 & later with NBC for even bigger returns to broadcast AFL games. Foss led the upstart league until 1965, about two months before talks with the NFL began, considering working together rather than merely as rivals to promote professional football.
November 30, 1959 – The NFL Draft was held once again, this time for the upcoming 1960 season. Heisman Trophy winner, halfback Billy Cannon from the 1959 National Champion LSU Tigers, was the top pick of the draft by the Los Angeles Rams. Cannon was also the territorial or bonus pick in the new AFL Draft earlier on November 22, 1959, by the Houston Oilers, per a Saturdaydownsouth.com website story. His contract rights were litigated in court, and Billy ended up playing in the AFL with the Houston Oilers and later with the Oakland Raiders. Billy led the Oilers to back-to-back AFL championships in 1960 and 1961. He also led the AFL in total yards in 1961, going over 2,000 yards for the season. He scored the game-winning touchdown in the 1960 championship game and was MVP of both title games. An injury forced him to play tight end with the Raiders, where he was part of their first Super Bowl victory. Billy Cannon finished his great career with the KC Chiefs.
November 30, 1963 – Empire Stadium, Vancouver – The CFL’s 51st Grey Cup featured the Hamilton Tiger-Cats beating the BC Lions, 21-10. The game featured a very controversial sequence involving American players Angelo Mosca and Willie Fleming, which my fellow Sports History Network podcast host, Os Davis, recounts in great, entertaining detail on his episode #3 of the TrulytheGOATs podcast.
November 30, 1963 – Legion Field, Birmingham – Auburn scored their first points in five seasons in the 28th playing of the Iron Bowl. The points weren’t many, but just enough to hold off the Crimson Tide, as Auburn survives Alabama 10-8. Warblogle.com has a great story on this game that pitted the sixth-ranked Tide, led by signal caller Joe Namath, against the ninth-ranked Tigers and their nifty quarterback, Jimmy Sidle. But obviously, as the score indicates, it was the defenses that starred in this game.
November 30, 1968 – CNE Stadium, Toronto – Ottawa Rough Riders defeat Calgary Stampeder, 24-21 in the 56th playing of the CFL’s Grey Cup. The site Sports Team History notes that the Most Valuable Player was Vic Washington, whose 79-yard scoring run in the contest set a Grey Cup record and had a huge impact on the outcome of this championship game.
November 30, 1968 – Legion Field, Birmingham – Those who watched the 33rd Iron Bowl were in for a real treat. The Paul W. Bryant Museum, a must-visit place, by the way, shares a great YouTube clip showing how Alabama defeated Auburn 24-16 in this classic matchup. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-e6wtkNko8
November 30, 1969 – Autostade, Montreal – It was the first CFL Grey Cup played on a Sunday and a matchup of the Roughriders against the Rough Riders. The Montreal Gazette gives us the details in this 57th version of the Cup, which had the Ottawa Rough Riders come out on top as they knocked off the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 29-11.
November 30, 1974 – The USC-Notre Dame game is generally one of the “must-watch” games of the season, and it certainly was in 1974. You didn’t want to leave at halftime!
On November 30, 1976, the voters for the 42nd Heisman Trophy Award didn’t have to do much deliberation, as there was one clear choice that season. Tony Dorsett, the running back from the University of Pittsburgh, had helped his team to an undefeated season and an eventual National Championship. Dorsett set 18 NCAA rushing records that season, according to Heisman.com’s bio on him. Tony Dorsett averaged 215 yards rushing per game en route to leading the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards in the 1976 season.
November 30, 1985 – Legion Field, Birmingham – AL.com shares a great article with us about the 50th Iron Bowl. This game has come down to be remembered by many as “the Kick.” You have to watch the video below and read the AL.com story to fully appreciate what happened in the last 57 seconds of this classic SEC contest, which saw Alabama come from behind to beat Auburn 25-23! In particular, you must see the block that Bama quarterback Mike Shula lays on an unsuspecting defender to spring a runner on the crucial 4th down play!
November 30, 1986 – BC Place, Vancouver – In the 74th Grey Cup game for the CFL Championship, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Edmonton Eskimos by the score of 39-15, per Onthisday.com.
November 30, 1991 – Legion Field, Birmingham – The annual SEC matchup of Alabama and Auburn was another dandy in the 56th Iron Bowl. This would be the last time Auburn would be the “home” team in the series played at Legion Field, as the Tigers’ brass insisted that future Auburn-hosted contests be played at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. Alabama spoiled the nostalgia of the Tigers’ fans, though, as the Tide outlasted Auburn in an exciting 13-6 game.
November 30, 1993 – Rosemont, Illinois – The Jacksonville Jaguars franchise is officially launched. Jaguars.com shares the story of how NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue surprised viewers when he announced that the League’s 30th franchise would be based in Jacksonville, even though the front-running cities seemed to be St. Louis, Baltimore, or Memphis.
November 30, 2013 – Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama – The 78th edition of the Iron Bowl series had to be one of the most stunning endings of all time! With little time remaining, Alabama lined up to attempt a 56-yard field goal to break a 28-28 tie. What happened has to be witnessed in the video below, as the emotion of the announcers is priceless! In short, the kick fell short, and Auburn’s Chris Davis caught the kick in the back of the end zone and raced 109 yards to paydirt to put the Auburn Tigers on top as they overcame the Tide of Alabama 34-28 in one of the most dramatic and unexpected endings of all time! (source)
November 30, 2014 – BC Place, Vancouver – The Calgary Stampeders squeaked past the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20-16 for their 7th Championship in the 102nd playing of the CFL’s Grey Cup as cbc.ca covers the action.
November 30, 2019 – it was another classic matchup of the two SEC and National powerhouses when the 83rd Iron Bowl pitted the #16 Auburn Tigers against #5 in the nation Alabama. According to AuburnTigers.com, the scoring was in plentiful supply as Auburn, fueled by two pick-sixes, held on after a late missed field goal to win 48-45 over their rivals.
November 30 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
- Bill Walsh
- Bo Jackson
Conclusion
From the controversial 1924 NFL Championship awarded to the Cleveland Bulldogs to the unforgettable “Kick Six” that stunned the sports world in 2013, November 30th is a day defined by high-stakes drama and enduring legacies. It cemented Bear Bryant’s coaching milestone, saw the birth of two legends (Bill Walsh and Bo Jackson), and was pivotal in the rise of the American Football League. The events of November 30th remind us that football history is constantly being written, often in the most dramatic fashion.