“Kelley-Potter Cup. . . Donated by the Blair senior class of 1989.”
These are the words engraved upon the plinth of the Kelley-Potter Cup, the trophy that the students of The Peddie School and Blair Academy have been competing for since 1988.
The official rivalry between Peddie and Blair began even earlier than that – all the way back in 1903. That year saw the first football game between the two schools, kicking off the oldest prep school football rivalry in New Jersey.
Since then, the rivalry has evolved to include a wider variety of sports, from soccer and field hockey to football and tennis. Today, Peddie-Blair Day is an annual tradition that marks the final athletic matches of the fall term.
The Kelley-Potter Cup has been an integral part of the tradition for more than three decades. The cup was named after F. Edward Potter, Jr. and James R. Kelley, beloved former Heads of School of Peddie and Blair respectively. After the conclusion of each year’s competitions, the cup is awarded to the school that emerged victorious in the largest number of matches.
Since 1988, Blair has proudly held the cup eight times, Peddie has done so 21 times, and there have been six ties (with the most recent being in 2023). In two rare cases, Peddie-Blair Day did not happen at all: once in 1944 due to a polio outbreak, and once in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the week leading up to the event, festivities flourish all throughout campus. One such tradition is a lighthearted competition amongst the boarding students: Each dorm creates a banner highlighting their sense of school spirit, with the winner earning bragging rights. Other well-loved traditions include the spirit days, in which students dress up based on different themes each day throughout the week.
The Friday before Blair Day is the day of the bonfire and the pep rally, including performances, plays made by the varsity athletic groups, speeches from various faculty and musical performances.
This year’s highly anticipated Blair Day will take place on November 8 , with games spanning from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The spirit of both the Falcons and Buccaneers are sure to be loud, but the Falcons are sure to be louder than ever. Ala Viva!
