Rutgers Athletics: The Birthplace of College Football
Rutgers University, founded in 1766, is one of the oldest universities in the United States. This venerable institution has a distinguished and historically rich reputation in both academics and sports. In fact, the Rutgers athletic department is famous for a number of firsts in college sports. While the school, among other notable advances, hosted the first intercollegiate baseball game (they lost 40-2), it is perhaps most famous for hosting the first intercollegiate football game in history.
The first intercollegiate football game was certainly not at all like today’s glitzy games played in front of millions; in fact, at that time the game was closer to soccer. However, hosting the interscholastic opener is a feather in the cap of Rutgers athletics, and it won’t be erased from the history books anytime soon.
The game, held in 1869, pitted the Rutgers athletics program against the fledgling Princeton team. The home team took the match in a decidedly low-scoring affair, winning with a tally of 6 runs to offset Princeton’s 4. The two apparent powerhouses went on to share the national title that year.
The players at the time could not have been even remotely aware of the historical repercussions of their game. They may not even recognize the modern incarnation of soccer as the same game. However, Rutgers athletics continued to expand, and the university now fields teams in 30 different NCAA-sanctioned sports. The current football stadium can hold more than 40,000 Scarlet Knights fans.
Unfortunately, the legacy of the football program didn’t translate to much success, mostly being swamped over the next century or so. In recent years, the program has begun to bring back some top-ranked teams, going to bowl games and even breaking the top 25 (and top 10) a few times.
No matter what the rankings or final standings say, the devoted Scarlet Knights fan base continues to pack the house year after year. Thanks to the efforts of the first football team all those years ago, the sport has blossomed to unimaginable proportions and has an unforgiving place in American folklore. In college towns with vaguely competitive programs, the most attractive ticket will always be the big game on Sunday.
Considering how popular the sport has become, it’s easy to forget that college football has such humble beginnings. The bright lights of the media are now focused a little more on competing schools outside of the Northeast. While the giants of the SEC and the PAC-10 could defeat the current Scarlet Knights in one game, neither can compete with their history and claim the “Birthplace of College Football.”