The Exeter–Andover rivalry, also known as the Andover–Exeter rivalry, is an athletic rivalry between Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter) and Phillips Academy (Andover), two New England boarding schools founded by members of the Phillips family during the Revolutionary era. The academies have competed athletically since 1861, and contest the nation's second-oldest high school football rivalry. The two teams have produced nineteen members of the College Football Hall of Fame.

History

Background Institutionally, the Exeter-Andover rivalry bears certain similarities to the Harvard–Yale rivalry. Due to religious differences between the two schools (Andover was Calvinist, Exeter Unitarian), they traditionally focused on sending students to Calvinist Yale and Unitarian Harvard, respectively.Allis, p. 148. Since then, the religious distinctions have faded but the academies continue to compete for prestige and prospective students. In 2022, Andover reportedly used Niche's high school rankings (Andover was #1 at the time) to taunt Exeter students during a game. The two academies have both held the #1 ranking at various points during the 21st century.

According to Andover, the academies have played each other in sports since 1861, although another source asserts that students did not organize Andover-Exeter games until 1865 and the academies did not formally sponsor competition until 1873. The baseball rivalry began when Exeter defeated Andover 11–1 on May 22, 1878; Andover returned the favor 10 days later, beating Exeter 10–8. The following school year, the football series began when Andover beat Exeter 22–0 on November 2, 1878; it is the nation's second-oldest high school football rivalry and oldest private school rivalry. In addition, Andover, Exeter, and Lawrenceville were the first secondary schools to sponsor lacrosse teams, starting in 1882.

Football Due to their age and early adoption of organized football, the academies have made extensive contributions to American college football.

Exeter has educated ten members of the College Football Hall of Fame, more than any other high school in the nation. Amos Alonzo Stagg (1885) was one of the first football pioneers at the University of Chicago, back when Chicago played top-level college sports. Six-time national championship-winning coach Howard Jones (1905) attended Exeter for a year after transferring from Ohio's Middletown High School. The other Exonians in the Hall of Fame are four-time All-American Marshall Newell (1890), 1927 national championship-winning coach Tad Jones (1905; Howard's brother), three-time All-American James Hogan (1901), Ed Hart (1907), Eddie Casey (1915), Lee McClung (1888), Jim McCormick (1904), and Donold Lourie (1918).

Andover has also produced several notable football figures, including nine College Football Hall of Famers, such as four-time All-American Frank Hinkey, three-time All-American Eddie Mahan, 1903 national championship-winning coach Art Hillebrand, John Kilpatrick (also a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame), Murray Shelton, Ted Coy, Bob Fisher, Dick Duden, and Belford West. In addition, Andover alumnus William G. Little founded the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, and longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick attended Andover for a year.

In addition, an early flashpoint in amateurism rules took place in 1889, when Andover paid a player $200 (roughly $6,800 in 2024 dollars) to play football, and Exeter convinced him to change teams by offering him $300; the resulting controversy prompted the cancellation of the 1889 game. Most notably, in 1893, Exeter beat Andover after hiring 27-year-old professional athlete Pooch Donovan to play football; the following week, Donovan played college football for Georgetown. In retaliation, Andover stopped playing football with Exeter (even though Andover's quarterback was allegedly a professional himself). After a short-lived attempt to make New Jersey's Lawrenceville School its rival, Andover agreed to play Exeter again in 1896.

Football matches

YearAndoverExeterWinner 1878220 Andover 1879018 Exeter 188088Tie 188160 Andover 1882120 Andover 1883176 Andover 1884118 Andover 18851133 Exeter 1886026 Exeter 1887444 Exeter 1888100 Andover 1889 No Game 1890160 Andover 18912610 Andover 18921828 Exeter 18931026 Exeter 1894 No Game 1895 No Game 1896289 Andover 18971418 Exeter 189800Tie 1899170 Andover 1900010 Exeter 190105 Exeter 1902291 Andover 19031114 Exeter 19041035 Exeter 1905280 Andover 190660 Andover 190796 Andover 1908120 Andover 190930 Andover 1910210 Andover 1911235 Andover 191270 Andover 1913059 Exeter 1914778 Exeter 1915737 Exeter 191606 Exeter 191703 Exeter 1918726 Exeter 1919190 Andover 192063 Andover 1921334 Exeter 1922312 Exeter 192377Tie 1924010Exeter

YearAndoverExeterWinner 192500Tie 1926203 Andover 192700Tie 1928180 Andover 1929714Exeter 19302016 Andover 19311215Exeter 193206Exeter 193367Exeter 193476 Andover 193507Exeter 1936127 Andover 19372015 Andover 1938146 Andover 1939612Exeter 1940220Exeter 19411413 Andover 1942120 Andover 1943612Exeter 1944200 Andover 1945187 Andover 194676 Andover 1947612Exeter 1948287 Andover 19493421 Andover 1950627Exeter 195177Tie 1952590 Andover 1953147 Andover 1954316 Andover 19551412 Andover 1956645Exeter 1957456 Andover 1958406 Andover 1959166 Andover 19601818Tie 1961188 Andover 196266Tie 196389Exeter 1964731Exeter 196508Exeter 1966626Exeter 1967206 Andover 19681222 Exeter 1969270 Andover 1970348 Andover 19712030 Exeter

YearAndoverExeterWinner 1972196 Andover 1973320 Andover 1974728 Exeter 19753320 Andover 1976015 Exeter 1977286 Andover 1978814 Exeter 1979247 Andover 1980146 Andover 1981712 Exeter 1982176 Andover 1983286 Andover 19841226 Exeter 1985721 Exeter 1986015 Exeter 19871413 Andover 19882112 Andover 19891412 Andover 1990160 Andover 19913314 Andover 199260 Andover 19932128 Exeter 19942020Tie 199563 Andover 199630 Andover 1997350 Andover 1998712 Exeter 1999197 Andover 2000613 Exeter 20014815 Andover 20021414Tie 2003044 Exeter 20041228 Exeter 2005248 Andover 20064314 Andover 20072414 Andover 20081321 Exeter 20091431 Exeter 20103356 Exeter 2011639 Exeter 2012935 Exeter 20131312 Andover 20141312 Andover 20152914 Andover 2016167 Andover20171714 Andover2018140 Andover

YearAndoverExeterWinner20191413 Andover2020 No Game2021637Exeter2022742Exeter20232047Exeter20242142Exeter20251648Exeter

References