In many cases, college sports teams are the heart of a state, city or town, which makes it even more shattering when tragedy strikes.  There have been few tragedies in the sports world that have been of as great a magnitude as that suffered by Marshall in 1970.

On this day, November 14th, in 1970, a heart-breaking accident occurred that resulted in most of the Marshall football team losing their lives.  The team was on a chartered flight from Stallings Field in North Carolina to Milton J. Ferguson Field in West Virginia when their plane crashed into a hill outside their ending location.   75 people died in the crash, including 37 players, 8 members of the coaching staff and 25 boosters.

A memorial to the fallen Marshall players and affiliates was made soon after the crash.  A memorial fountain followed in 1972 and every year, it honors those who lost their lives as the water turns off at the exact moment of the crash.