By Darin If 1877 was about establishing a backbone, 1878 was the year college football became a legitimate public spectacle. The season was defined by a surge in popularity, the expansion of the “playing field,” and the rise of a single dominant powerhouse: Princeton.
Here are the significant events and records that shaped the 1878 college football season:
While 1877 saw a split in dominance, 1878 belonged entirely to the Princeton Tigers (then known as the College of New Jersey).
- Record: They finished a perfect 6–0–0.
- National Championship: Princeton was retroactively named the national champion by multiple organizations, including the Billingsley Report and the National Championship Foundation.
- Defensive Dominance: The Tigers allowed only one goal the entire season (to Penn), while shutting out heavyweights like Harvard and Yale.
A Deep Dive into 1878 Football History and Highlights
- Spring of 1878 – The IFA met to discuss rules revisions. Walter Camp proposed reducing the number of players from 15 to 11 per side (though this wasn’t fully adopted until 1880).
- Fall 1878 – Canvas pants and jackets replaced tights as uniforms
- November 28, 1878, the most significant game of the 1878 season took place in Hoboken, New Jersey. An unprecedented 4,000 spectators attended. To put this in perspective, just a few years earlier, crowds were often measured in the dozens or low hundreds. Princeton defeated Yale 1–0. The game was so popular that the $300 rental fee for the field—considered “grossly extravagant” at the time—was actually criticized by some as a sign the sport was becoming too commercialized.
The Rise of Walter Camp
1878 was a pivotal year for Walter Camp, the “Father of American Football.” Serving as Yale’s captain, Camp began advocating for the formal rule changes that would eventually separate American football from rugby.
- He proposed reducing the number of players from 15 to 11 per side (though this wasn’t fully adopted until 1880).
- His leadership during the 1878 season cemented his influence on the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) rules committee.
4. Expansion of the Sport
The “league” of competitive teams grew to 11 programs in 1878, with several notable schools establishing or re-establishing their presence:
- Brown University and Swarthmore College officially established their football programs this year.
- The season saw a shift in focus toward “perfection of play” and strategic stability, as the rules remained largely consistent with the previous year to allow teams to master the rugby-style tackle and carry.
