American college football has a long and rich history and is considered an important part of the American culture. What started as a rather very simple and obscure event more than a century ago has since evolved into one of the most popular sports in the country. It has become a really common thing for many people to visit the large football stadiums dressed in their team’s shirts cheering for their respective teams during a match.
And likewise, college football spreads have emerged as a significant part of the game, given that more and more fans are placing their bets on the outcome of these exciting games. However, to know the whole story of how it came to where it is today it is first necessary to remember the first college football game. This article is a brief overview of how college football got its start, what the first game was like and how college football has evolved over time.
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The Early History of American Football
The development of American football started in the late nineteenth century when association football or rugby was brought into American universities from England.
Such early games were not highly organized, and the rules of the game were not too well defined and even then varied from one college to another. On many occasions, it appeared that the games were more like a brawl, absent of the structure and order that is seen in the game today. The need to develop a new and more organized version of the game was realized when universities wanted to find a way of making their athletic programs special but at the same time, there had to be a competitive edge.
The Origin of College Football
The first college football match was played on November 6th in the year 1869 between the two universities, namely Rutgers University and Princeton University which are located in the city of New Brunswick in the state of New Jersey. It was played using a ball similar to a soccer ball and the rules of the game were somewhat like soccer and rugby and the game was quite different from the football we know today.
The last result of the game was in the favor of Rutgers and the final score was 6-4. Unlike contemporary football, the teams that participated had 25 players and the object of the game was to take the ball to the other side of the opponents. Although it wasn’t the full game as we understand it today it was the beginning of a great thing.
The Origins of College Football: New Brunswick
New Brunswick is a city that is proud to be the birthplace of college football. The first ever game of this exciting sport was played at Rutgers University and to date this institution has its own chapter in the history of the game. The game was to be played on a field located behind the Rutgers College building and although it was a minor game in terms of scale the importance of the game cannot be overemphasized.
New Jersey is especially the home of college football with Rutgers University being an institution that takes pride in this regard as being the birthplace of college football. This event is held annually at the university with the purpose of appreciating the role of the university in the growth of a sport that has been adopted by millions of people.
Best Rivalries of College Football
College football is fueled by rivalries and the first college football game sparked one of the oldest and most intense rivalries in the sport: Rutgers and Princeton are two of the best-known universities in the states. It is not as vibrant as it was in the past, especially in the current generation but its roots can be seen from the very first match that was held back in the year 1869.
In the course of years, College football became more and more popular and new great rivalry games appeared such as Michigan and Ohio State, Alabama and Auburn and USC and UCLA. These rivalries are a part of the game and only add more excitement, tradition, and passion to the game that is college football.
Rules and Playing Style
The first college football game lacked many features that are present in today’s college football game in a significant way. The game was a sport which involved two sides of twenty-five players each and the main idea of the game was to try to kick or hit the ball into the opponents’ goal.
In fact, the game was a mix of rugby and soccer and it was not very clear what the actual rules of the game were. The handling and tackling was very similar to rugby but it was not yet a well-formed sport. Other changes were also made from time to time as the game developed, these changes included the formulation of downs, the forward pass rule and changes in the number of players on the field. These changes would in the long run lead to the present-day American football that we know today.
Key Players and Coaches
Unfortunately, it is not clear what the actual statistics of that first college football game were or who the great players of that game were but it is known that, for example, William J. Leggett of Rutgers and Captain William Gummere of Princeton were involved in that game.
It has been said that the legends are not only made in history but they also write it and so it is with coaching and playing fotball. These are the people who have shaped college football with their domination from Knute Rockne’s Notre Dame team to Bear Bryant’s Alabama team. All of them influenced every game that is being played in modern college football today, the strategies that are employed, the approach that is used by the coaches, and leadership positions.
Introducing the NCAA
Because there was no clear set of guidelines and rules, the NCAA which is the National Collegiate Athletic Association was formed in 1906. The NCAA was started in light of the changes in the American culture where football had emerged as a popular game but also a very brutal one.
NCAA was to come in where it was given the mandate of ensuring that there are certain laws that have to be followed to ensure that athletes do not exploit themselves and that every college sport is played fairly. The first official NCAA football championship which was organized by the NCAA can be credited for the growth of college football into what it is today a multimillion-dollar industry.
The Evolution of College Football Since Then
College football today has greatly evolved in its development to what it is today since its inception in the year 1869. The game then changed from a bi-sport of rugby and soccer to a more refined game with structural formation, strategies and most importantly passionate fans. As the game progressed even more, college football became a national sport with television agreements, bowl games and playoffs.
Top image: American football, on a pitch. Source: Pexels
By Pam Brown
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