As we get closer to the 150th anniversary of the first football game between Rutgers and Princeton, I thought it would be good to provide a quick list of the game’s oldest teams when they play their first game in 2019:
Rutgers: 150 years (All college football fans know that Rutgers hosted in-state rival Princeton on November 6, 1869, making them “The Birthplace of College Football”. What might not be known is that they were known as the “Queensmen” at that time. The game was also played with two teams of 25 men each under rugby-like rules. Though the Scarlet Knights have been passed by many teams in total wins, they will always have the distinction of winning the first college football game.)
Princeton: 150 years (Though the Tigers lost the first-ever football game to Rutgers, they won the rematch later that same month, 8-0. Princeton did have a part in the evolution of early football as they contributed to the system of downs, as well as setting players up into a line and backfield. Twenty-eight Tiger teams have recorded undefeated seasons, including the top-ranked team of 1922.)
Columbia: 149 years (Columbia is credited with being the third-oldest college football program after having played in the fourth all-time college football game on November 12, 1870 against Rutgers in New Jersey. Their short trip to New Brunswick, NJ was the first game between schools from different states. A couple other of “firsts” for the Lions – their game against Princeton in 1870 was the first football game played between future Ivy League schools, and in 2006, they hired the first African-American head coach, Norries Wilson, in the Ivy League.)
Yale: 147 years (There is quite a legacy with this school when it comes to football. First and foremost, Walter Camp, who played at Yale and was later a head coach for the school, pioneered the transition from rugby to the game we know today, thus he is known as the “Father of American Football”. The Bulldogs are also one of five teams with more than 900 wins, they lay claim to 27 national championships, they won two of the first three Heisman Trophies – of which I posed for a picture with one that can be seen on my About page on this site. Yale also had the first live mascot, Handsome Dan, the first bowl-shaped stadium in the country, as well as the second oldest continuing rivalry against Harvard.)
Harvard: 145 years (In 1874, Harvard accepted a proposal from McGill University for a two-game series that was played May 14th and 15th. Just over a year later, the Crimson played its first-ever intercollegiate games against Tufts. The historical relevance of the matchup against the Jumbos is that Harvard was outfitted in what’s believed to be the first football uniform. Later that same year, on November 13, Harvard and Yale played for the first time, with the Crimson winning the initial meeting.)
Tufts: 144 years (Unfortunately, the only historical thing I know about the sixth-oldest team is that they were the first American opponent of Harvard. The Jumbos currently play in the NESCAC with other historical programs Amherst, Trinity – as well as Williams, Wesleyan, and Bowdoin.)
Penn: 143 years (The Quakers got their rivalry with Princeton started right at the beginning, as the Tigers were both their first and third opponent in 1876 – Penn’s first year. Unfortunately, the Tigers would take the first 28 meetings up through 1891. The Quakers would get their act together quickly as they won seven National Championships by 1925, as well as 18 Ivy League Championships – including five straight from 1982 to 1986. Also, no other college football program has played more than Penn’s 1,403 games, which is forty more games than Rutgers. Lastly, the Quakers play their home games on the oldest collegiate football field, and their stadium is also home to the first scoreboard.)
Amherst: 142 years (Amherst’s first opponent were the Jumbos from Tufts in 1877, a game won by the Lord Jeffs, 8-4. Of course, Williams would become their most important rival, as it has become known as “The Biggest Little Game in America” and it is the fourth most played NCAA game at any level. And one other thing, Amherst was one of the first teams to be scouted (or spied upon – a practice that got started in the 1880s) as Walter Camp missed a game at Yale to watch his upcoming opponent.
Trinity: 142 years (Played their first game in 1877 against the Yale Bulldogs, and waited ten years to get their first victory – which was against current NESCAC rival Amherst. Since 2002 though, the Bantams have led the NESCAC in victories with 122 wins – while losing just 16 games.)
Brown: 141 years (On October 14, 1878, The University’s Foot Ball Association received an invitation from Amherst for a game. The members were called together and the challenge was quickly accepted – with November 13 being the date that was chosen for the game. Amherst came and defeated the informal team 4-0. Brown has not had as many accomplishments on the field as their conference brethren, but it doesn’t mean that their contributions to the game are any less. Fritz Pollard, the first black player at Brown, was one of the first two African American players in the NFL in 1920, and he would become the first African American head coach in the NFL. More recently, the Bears have hired Heather Marini – the first female position coach in Division 1 football history – as their new quarterbacks coach this past March.)
I would have to say that my two favorite leagues (Ivy League and NESCAC) are well represented in this list…