The Football Cannon

Everyone who attends a Rockets football game knows when UT scores by the traditional "boom" of the football cannon. The cannon originates from a Pi Kappa Phi fraternity member who bartered his cannon for his fraternity dues because he was short on money. The cannon is a Civil War era model, one of the oldest around. In 1953, the men of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity fired the first cannon shot at a Rocket's football game from aloft the northeast Blockhouse in the Glass Bowl stadium. The cannon continued to be fired from this position until 1989, when the cannon had to be moved to the field because of structural concerns with the Blockhouse. In 1990, the cannon was fired from the northwest corner of the end zone. Then during the beginning of the 1995 football season, because of concerns of the on-field media, the administration decided to move the cannon once more to its present day position in the southeast corner of the field near the student section. Blasts are fired at the beginning of each home game, at the end of each quarter, and after every Rocket score. The Toledo community will continue to hear the continuous score of the Rockets football team through the mighty sound of the cannon at each home game.