By Darin The 1920 American football season was a landmark year, forever etched in history as the birth of organized professional football. While the college game still held the national spotlight, the foundation of what would become the NFL changed the sport’s trajectory forever.
The Birth of the NFL (APFA)
The most significant event of 1920 occurred on September 17, when a group of men met at a Hupmobile auto showroom in Canton, Ohio. They formed the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which was renamed the National Football League (NFL) two years later.
- First President: The legendary Jim Thorpe was elected as the league’s first president to lend the organization instant credibility.
- The Charter Members: 14 teams originally made up the league, including the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) and the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals).
- The First Champion: The Akron Pros were awarded the title after finishing the season undefeated (8–0–3), conceding only seven points all year.
College Football Dominance
In the collegiate ranks, the 1920 season was defined by “The Wonder Team” and the continued rise of the Midwest powers:
- California’s “Wonder Team”: The Cal Golden Bears went 9–0, outscoring opponents 510–14. They capped the season with a 28–0 drubbing of Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
- Princeton & Notre Dame: Both schools finished with undefeated records. Knute Rockne’s Notre Dame squad went 9–0, led by the brilliant George “The Gipper” Gipp, who tragically passed away just weeks after the season ended.
- The South Rises: Georgia Tech and Centre College continued to prove that high-level football wasn’t exclusive to the Ivy League or the Midwest.
Key Evolution: The Game Changes
- Professionalization: For the first time, there was a concerted effort to stop “player raiding” (players jumping from team to team for higher weekly pay), bringing a semblance of structure to the pro ranks.
- The Gipper’s Legacy: George Gipp became Notre Dame’s first All-American, and his deathbed wish—”Win one for the Gipper”—became the most famous rallying cry in sports history.
A Deep Dive into 1920 Football History and Highlights
- January 1, 1920 – Harvard defeated Oregon, 7–6, in the 1920 Rose Bowl.
- September 17, 1920 – Leaders of multiple Professional football teams met in Canton, Ohio, to form the American Professional Football Association (APFA), the predecessor of the NFL, electing Jim Thorpe as the organization’s president.
- September 26, 1920 – The first time an APFA member team played a game was when the Rock Island Independents beat the St. Paul Ideals 48–0.
- October 3, 1920 – The first official game between opposing APFA (NFL) members occurred at Dayton’s Triangle Park, when the Dayton Triangles beat the Columbus Panhandles 14–0.
- October 10, 1920 – the Chicago Cardinals played their first game in the American Professional Football Association (later known as the NFL). The game against the cross-town rivals, the Chicago Tigers, ended in a 0-0 draw.
- October 17, 1920 – the Chicago Bears (then known as the Decatur Staleys) played their very first NFL (APFA) opponent, the Rock Island Independents. Per the Pro-Football-Reference website, Staley’s team featured legendary stars Jimmy Conzelman, Paddy Driscoll, and George Halas in the game. The Decatur squad won the game over Rock Island 7-0.
- November 20, 1920 – Northwestern Field, Chicago, Illinois – Notre Dame’s George Gipp played in his last game on this date against the Northwestern Purple. Gipp was ill at the time and suffering from a shoulder injury he had sustained in the game against Indiana a week earlier.
- December 14, 1920 – Notre Dame All-American George Gipp dies in South Bend, IN, of an infection.