College Football History

American football was made popular by teams representing colleges and universities. These teams dominated the game for most of the first 100 years of football in the U.S. Even today, despite greatly increased interest in professional football, intercollegiate contests, played by some 670 teams, are attended by more than 36 million spectators each year. Many college stadiums hold more than 50,000 spectators; one stadium, at the University of Michigan, can seat 102,501 people.

College Football

The birth date of football in the U.S. is generally regarded by football historians as Nov. 6, 1869, when teams from Rutgers and Princeton universities met in New Brunswick, N.J., for the first intercollegiate football game. In the early games, each team had 25 players. By 1873 the number was reduced to 20, in 1876 to 15, and in 1880 to 11, where it has remained fixed to the present time.

Unlike baseball, its counterpart in American sports, the game of football has a history of constant rule changes. The field itself has been reduced in length from 120 yd, exclusive of end zones, to the current 100 yd, and in width from 100 yd to the present 53 ¹/₃ yd. The ball was once completely round, then became an oval shape 23 in. around the middle, and now is 20 ³/₄ -21 ¹/₄ in. around the middle. At one time a touchdown counted 2 points and a field goal 5. Now a touchdown is 6 points and a field goal 3. Changes in the rules have been made to maintain a balance between the offense and defense, and to foster the safety of the players.

By 1906, the game was extremely rough, and many injuries and some deaths had occurred. Educators considered dropping the sport despite its popularity on campuses. Then President Theodore Roosevelt, an ardent advocate of strenuous sports, declared that it must be made safer. As a result, football leaders revamped the game and many of the rougher tactics were outlawed.

Among the numerous revisions in the rules was the legalizing of the forward pass. It was hoped, and the hope proved correct, that by thus opening up the game fewer players would be injured in the mass rushing plays that were so effective and popular at the turn of the century. The rules committee also changed the downs system, requiring a team to make 10 yd, not 5, in three tries for a first down. In 1912 the rule was expanded to four tries, or downs, to make a first down.

In the 1900s, college football became one of the country's most popular sports spectacles. Early football stars who rank among the greatest U.S. sports heroes include such student athletes as Jim Thorpe of Carlisle Indian School; George Gipp (1895-1920) of the University of Notre Dame; Harold "Red" Grange of the University of Illinois; Tom Harmon (1919-90) of the University of Michigan; Glenn Davis (1924-    ) and Felix "Doc" Blanchard (1925-    ), the "Touchdown Twins" of Army (the U.S. Military Academy); and Doak Walker (1927-98) of Southern Methodist University.

In 1935 the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City established an award honoring one of the outstanding college football coaches in the country, John William Heisman (1869-1936). Heisman is credited with legalizing the forward pass in 1906. The John W. Heisman Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the outstanding college player of the year, as decided by votes of sports writers. Many Heisman winners have gone on to become pro football stars.

After World War II, college athletes began to receive football scholarships in such increasing numbers that today virtually every major college athlete is paid room, board, tuition, and other expenses, usually from donations for the support of athletics. At the same time, the quality of the game has improved. Nearly all major college football teams belong to either the National Collegiate Athletic Association or the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which implement the rules and oversee competition between teams. Many of the major universities are grouped in conferences, such as the Big Ten, the Big Eight, the Pacific Ten, the Southeastern Conference, and the Ivy League. College teams usually play about 11 games a season.

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