When the Harding University Bison football team takes the field at First Security Stadium against Missouri Southern on Saturday, August 29 at 6 p.m., fifty years of Bison football will be celebrated and remembered. Due to financial problems caused by the Great Depression, Harding's football program was canceled after the 1931 season. Twenty-eight years later, nearly 50 young men turned out in 1959 to restart intercollegiate football at Harding. They were led by Head Coach Carl Allison, an Oklahoma University "great."  Allison started at defensive end for four years under the legendary Bud Wilkinson.  Allison was inducted into the Oklahoma University Hall of Fame in 1996.

During the weekend of August 28-29, coaches, trainers, players, and cheerleaders from the 1959 team will be gathering in Searcy to celebrate this 50th anniversary milestone.  Early indications are that a great turnout is expected with 30+ already committed with players coming from as far away as Florida for this event.  Coach Allison will be here to again "lead his team" for this special occasion.  Several activities are planned throughout the weekend including special introductions at halftime of the game.