Of course a blight killed off all of the Chestnut trees on the east coast. However, various universities including the prestigious Penn State University, who upset the Miami Hurricanes in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, have worked on crossing the American Chestnut and the Chinese Chestnut to create a blight resistant variety. In 2004, HCC joined the American Chestnut Foundation, based out of Penn State University, and the organization sent us several seedlings. We planted them back behind the 5th green. Today they are almost 10ft tall!
The 1987 Fiesta may be the biggest college football upset in history. Sorry Mr. Beckner.
