By Darin We told you in our 1870 post that the Rutgers-Princeton game in mid-November got so out of hand that no games were scheduled between Rutgers, Columbia, or Princeton. There was some “football” activity in America in 1871.
A Deep Dive into 1871 Football History and Highlights
- In 1871, Harvard University began playing a variation of the game called “the Boston Game,” which differed from the others by allowing a player to pick up the ball and run if he was chased. This was an inter-Harvard game, much like an intramural activity.
- While intercollegiate play remained on hiatus, the spirit of the game lived on through fierce intra-university traditions. On campuses like the University of Pennsylvania, students kept the sport alive with spirited class rivalries in the fall of 1871—carrying forward a gridiron legacy that stretched back to the 1820s.
- While the 1871 season remains largely a mystery, records suggest a historic clash took place between the University of Virginia and Washington & Lee. However, in a frustrating twist for historians, the final score and statistics have been lost to the fog of time.
We provide this in-depth historical look through careful research. The best sources are people from the period. Our main reference for this article is Parke H. Davis’s 1911 book, Football—The American Intercollegiate Game.
