Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
The Sod Cemetery
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 3, 2021
1. The Sod Cemetery Marker
Florida State University’s “sod games” and the Sod Cemetery have become a legendary tradition in college football.
In 1962, the Seminole football team was preparing to play the University of Georgia at Sanford Stadium. At the end of the team practice on Thursday afternoon, Dean Coyle Moore, a long-time Professor and Athletic Board member, spoke to the team. He challenged them to win this difficult game away from home and “bring back some sod from between the hedges at Georgia.”
On Saturday, October 20, 1962, Florida State earned a surprising 18-0 victory over Georgia. After the game, team captain Gene McDowell pulled a small piece of grass from the football field. The team presented the sod to Dean Moore at the next football practice. He and Coach Bill Peterson had the sod buried on this practice field as a symbol of the victory. A monument was placed to commemorate the victory and the tradition of the sod game was born.
Since that time, each week before leaving for games away from home in which Florida State is the underdog, all University of Florida road games, and all conference championship and bowl games, Seminole
this page online
Sod games represent the most difficult of college football battles. They are away from home, against the crowd, and against the odds. From the most difficult of circumstances, some of the most glorious victories have been engraved.
In perpetuity, the Moore Family Trust and the Florida State University honor the past and future victories of courageous and persevering Seminoles whose achievements area symbolized in the sod game tradition.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is October 20, 1962.
Location. 30° 26.396′ N, 84° 18.28′ W. Marker is in Tallahassee, Florida, in Leon County. It can be reached from Stadium Drive (Florida Route 366) just south of West Pensacola Street, on the right when traveling north. The marker and Sod Cemetery are located on the east side of the Florida State Football practice
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 3, 2021
2. The Sod Cemetery Marker
Regionally, this marker is in North Florida. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Al Dunlap Seminole Practice Fields (a few steps from this marker); 2013 National Championship Football Team (within shouting distance of this marker); 1999 National Championship Football Team (within shouting distance of this marker); 1993 National Championship Football Team (within shouting distance of this marker); Bernard F. Sliger / Doak Sheridan Campbell (within shouting distance of this marker); Seminole Family (about 500 feet away, measured
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 3, 2021
3. The Sod Cemetery Marker
Also see . . . Florida State Football Sod Cemetery (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: The Florida State Football Sod Cemetery is a symbolic monument that features over 100 bronze plaques, each commemorating a "sod game." Sod games represent the Seminoles' greatest victories away from the team's home in Tallahassee. Interred beneath each bronze plaque is a piece of sod—a fragment from the field—that is ceremoniously extracted from the stadiums where the Seminoles claimed victory.(Submitted on April 15, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)In the summer of 2013, Florida State built new practice fields, and the cemetery was moved to its current location. Situated 200 feet north of Doak Campbell Stadium (Gate M) and just outside the entrance to the Al Dunlap Seminole Practice Fields, the Sod Cemetery draws thousands of spectators on game days. Inside its gates, the plaques chronicle the evolution of a program that originated as an underdog and ascended to powerhouse status. Each marker represents a day when the Seminoles went
on the road and prevailed, be it as the underdogs, during fierce rivalries, or significant championship matches.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 3, 20214. Florida State University Football Sod CemeterySod games are traditionally designated as away games that meet the following criteria:
• Florida State plays as the underdog, against a higher-ranked opponent.
• The game is a road game against the University of Florida, denoting what is perhaps Florida State's fiercest rivalry.
• The game is a championship match up, such as the ACC Championship or a National Championship.
• The game is a post-regular season bowl game.
• The game is designated a sod game by Florida State's head coach.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 11, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 169 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 15, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
