By Darin The 1936 American football season stands as one of the most historically significant periods in the sport’s history. It fundamentally transformed how champions were decided and introduced traditions that endure to this day.
1936 College Football: The Birth of the AP Poll
The 1936 college football season completely revolutionized the sport by introducing a structured, national ranking system.
- The Inaugural AP Poll: The Associated Press released its very first writers’ poll on October 20, 1936. Designed to bring order to the chaotic claims over “mythical national championships,” it quickly became the gold standard for college rankings.
- The First AP National Champion: The Minnesota Golden Gophers finished the season with a 7–1 record and were voted the first-ever AP National Champion. This choice sparked immediate controversy, as Minnesota did not win their own Big Ten conference (Northwestern did, having defeated Minnesota 6–0), and the Pittsburgh Panthers claimed a rival share of the national title after shutting out Washington 21–0 in the Rose Bowl.
- The Heisman Trophy Evolution: Yale end Larry Kelley won the award, which was renamed the “Heisman Memorial Trophy” this exact season following the death of downtown Athletic Club director John Heisman.
- The Cotton Bowl Debut: The bowl game landscape expanded as Dallas hosted the first-ever Cotton Bowl Classic, where Texas Christian University (TCU) defeated Marquette 16–6.
1936 Professional Football: The NFL’s Landmark Draft
The National Football League (NFL) took major structural leaps forward in 1936, establishing systems designed to ensure competitive parity and institutional stability.
- The First NFL Draft: Held on February 8, 1936, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia, this marked the inception of the player draft. The Philadelphia Eagles held the first pick and selected Heisman winner Jay Berwanger, who famously chose to pursue a career in plastics and rubber manufacturing rather than sign with the NFL.
- The Green Bay Packers Title: Led by legendary coach Curly Lambeau, the Green Bay Packers captured the 1936 NFL Championship by defeating the Eastern Division champion Boston Redskins 21–6.
- The Move from Boston: In an unusual twist of history, Redskins owner George Preston Marshall grew so frustrated with low fan attendance in Boston that he moved the NFL Championship game to the Polo Grounds in New York City. Weeks later, Marshall officially relocated the franchise to Washington, D.C.
- Schedule Standardization: For the first time, the NFL instituted a completely uniform schedule, requiring all teams to play exactly 12 regular-season games.
A Deep Dive into 1936 Football History and Highlights
- January 1, 1936 – At the 22nd Rose Bowl, Stanford’s Vow Boys outlasted SMU 7-0, in a game that featured both teams hailing from West of the Mississippi.
- February 8, 1936 – The First NFL Draft takes place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. The Eagles select Jay Brwanger of Chicago with the 1st pick.
- September 28, 1936 – The Boston Redskins and the Brooklyn Dodgers play an NFL game that does not have one penalty in it! The Redskins prevailed in the penalty-free contest by the score of 30-6, according to Pro Football Reference.com.
- October 20, 1936 – The Associated Press released its very first writers’ poll for football.
- October 31, 1936 – Polo Grounds, New York – The infamous Seven Blocks of Granite defended their NYC turf against the powerful Pitt Panthers in an instant classic. Check out the full story at 1936 Fordham-Pitt Game.
- November 7, 1936 – Keystone State rivals Pitt and Penn State squared off on the gridiron with the Panthers dominating in a 34-7 victory in the Steel City.
- On November 14, 1936, the No. 5 Pittsburgh Panthers defeated the No. 6 Nebraska Cornhuskers by a score of 19-6 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. This was a highly anticipated inter-sectional matchup, evidenced by the fact that Nebraska chose it as the one game of the year to be broadcast on the radio. The victory proved significant for Pitt, contributing to their impressive 1936 season, which ultimately led them to be recognized as a consensus mythical national champion.
- December 5, 1936 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – It was a close one at the 24th Grey Cup as the Sarnia Imperials defeated the Ottawa Rough Riders, 26-20, for Sarnia’s 2nd Championship banner.
- December 13, 1936 – Polo Grounds, New York City – The Green Bay Packers secured their first NFL Championship Game win against the Boston Redskins. It was Boston’s final game before moving to Washington, D.C. The Packers’ decisive 21-6 victory stemmed from Arnie Herber’s passing, as documented by packersnews.com. Don Hutson caught one of Herber’s TD passes, while Milt Gantenbein grabbed