By Darin In 1872, American football was a sport still searching for its soul. While the “Boston Game” was beginning to bridge the gap between soccer and rugby, the season was defined by a massive leap in collegiate participation as Yale finally entered the fray. It was a year of primitive tactics and brutal endurance, setting the stage for the strategic evolution that would eventually turn a chaotic campus pastime into a national obsession.
Step back onto the dusty fields of the 1872 American Football Season.
A Deep Dive into 1872 Football History and Highlights
After a one-year hiatus due to the rowdy 1870 Rutgers-Princeton game, intercollegiate play resumed in 1872, as the game was gaining popularity.
- Nov 2, 1872 (First Game): Rutgers and Columbia played to a 0–0 tie, representing the first college football game in New York State and the first tie in college football history.
- Nov 9, 1872: Rutgers defeated Columbia 7–5.
- Nov 16, 1872 (New England’s First Game): Yale played its first-ever game, defeating Columbia 3–0 at Hamilton Park in New Haven, Connecticut.
- Nov 16, 1872: Princeton defeated Rutgers 4–1.
- Yale’s first football game took place on Yale won 3–0 in a 20-a-side matchup based on soccer rules, November 16, 1872, at Hamilton Park in New Haven against Columbia College. With Tommy Sherman scoring the first goal and Lew Irwin scoring the other two. This game was the first intercollegiate football match in New England.
It was the only game Yale played that year. With their spotless record, many years later, historian Parke H. Davis would retroactively dub them the fabled Co-National Champions with Princeton. The Billingsley Report and National Championship Foundation recognize Princeton only.
- Nov 23, 1872 (Stevens’ First Game): Columbia defeated Stevens Tech 6–0, which was the first official intercollegiate game for Stevens Tech.
