History of College football in Timeline

College football is a popular amateur sport in the United States played by student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was the initial form through which American football gained its widespread popularity.

May 1900: Yost hired as Stanford coach

In May 1900, Yost was hired as the football coach at Stanford University.

August 21, 1900: Yost arrives at Stanford University

On August 21, 1900, Yost arrived in Palo Alto, California to coach football at Stanford University.

December 4, 1900: Death toll rises in Thanksgiving Day Disaster

On December 4, 1900, the last victim of the "Thanksgiving Day Disaster" (Fred Lilly) died, bringing the death toll to 22. The disaster remains the deadliest accident to kill spectators at a U.S. sporting event.

November 22, 1901: First intercollegiate game in Florida

On November 22, 1901, Stetson beat Florida Agricultural College at Lake City, one of the four forerunners of the University of Florida, 6–0, in the first intercollegiate game between official varsity teams played in the state of Florida.

1901: Yost hired by Michigan

In 1901, Yost was hired by Charles A. Baird as the head football coach for the Michigan Wolverines football team.

1901: Michigan Becomes a National Power

In 1901, led by coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan became the first "western" national power.

1901: Colorado Wins Colorado Football Association Championship

In 1901, the University of Colorado won the Colorado Football Association Championship.

January 1, 1902: Michigan wins inaugural Tournament East-West football game

On January 1, 1902, Yost's 1901 Michigan Wolverines football team defeated Stanford University in the inaugural "Tournament East-West football game," which is now known as the Rose Bowl Game. The score was 49–0 after Stanford captain Ralph Fisher requested to quit with eight minutes remaining.

September 27, 1902: Georgetown beats Navy

On September 27, 1902, Georgetown beat Navy 4 to 0 in a game that Georgetown authorities claim included the first ever "roving center" or linebacker when Percy Given stood up.

1902: Michigan Plays in First College Football Bowl Game

In 1902, Michigan played in the first college football bowl game, which later became the Rose Bowl Game.

1902: First Rose Bowl game

In 1902, the first Rose Bowl game was played between Michigan and Stanford, with Michigan winning 49-0.

1903: Pop Warner uses hidden ball trick

In 1903, Pop Warner used the hidden ball trick at Carlisle against Harvard and garnered national attention.

1903: SIAA Championship Game Ends in a Tie

On Thanksgiving Day in 1903, the game in Montgomery, Alabama between Cumberland against Heisman's Clemson for an "SIAA championship game" ended in an 11–11 tie.

1904: Big coaching hires in the South

In 1904, Mike Donahue was hired at Auburn, John Heisman at Georgia Tech, and Dan McGugin at Vanderbilt. Donahue and McGugin had just come from the north.

October 9, 1905: Roosevelt Meets with Football Representatives

On October 9, 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt held a meeting of football representatives from Harvard, Yale, and Princeton to discuss eliminating and reducing injuries in the sport. He did not threaten to ban football.

November 11, 1905: First Big Game at Stanford Field

On November 11, 1905, the Big Game between Stanford and Cal was the first played at Stanford Field, with Stanford winning 12–5.

November 30, 1905: Chicago Defeats Michigan

On November 30, 1905, Chicago defeated Michigan 2 to 0 in a game dubbed "The First Greatest Game of the Century." This game broke Michigan's 56-game unbeaten streak and marked the end of the "Point-a-Minute" years.

December 28, 1905: Meeting in New York City to Discuss Rule Changes

On December 28, 1905, 62 schools met in New York City to discuss rule changes aimed at making the game safer. This meeting led to the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) in 1906.

1905: College Football Fatalities

Between 1890 and 1905, 330 college athletes died as a direct result of injuries sustained on the football field.

1905: Michigan's Undefeated Streak Ends

From 1901 to 1905, Michigan had a 56-game undefeated streak.

1905: First Scouting in the South

In 1905, Dan McGugin and Captain Innis Brown of Vanderbilt scouted Sewanee playing Georgia Tech, marking the first known scouting activity in the South.

September 5, 1906: First Legal Forward Pass

On September 5, 1906, Bradbury Robinson, playing for Saint Louis University, threw the first legal forward pass in a game against Carroll College at Waukesha.

1906: Davidson Throws a Legal Forward Pass

In 1906, Fuzzy Woodruff claims Davidson was the first team in the South to throw a legal forward pass.

1906: Vanderbilt Defeats Carlisle

In 1906, Vanderbilt defeated Carlisle 4 to 0, with Bob Blake scoring a field goal.

1906: Introduction of play-the-ball rule

In 1906, rugby league introduced the play-the-ball rule, which greatly resembled Camp's early scrimmage and center-snap rules.

1906: West Coast Universities Replace Football with Rugby

In 1906, universities on the West Coast, led by California and Stanford, replaced American football with rugby union due to concerns about violence. Other schools that also made the switch included Nevada, St. Mary's, Santa Clara, and USC.

1907: First Halftime Show Featuring Marching Band

In 1907, Chicago and Illinois played the first game to have a halftime show featuring a marching band in Champaign, Illinois. Chicago won the game 42-6.

1907: Vanderbilt Ties Navy

In 1907, Vanderbilt and Navy played to a 6 to 6 tie.

1909: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Founded

In 1909, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference was founded, featuring four members: Colorado, Colorado College, Colorado School of Mines, and Colorado Agricultural College.

1909: Field Goals Lowered to Three Points

In 1909, the scoring rules for college football changed: field goals were lowered to three points.

1910: Vanderbilt Holds Yale to a Tie

In 1910, Vanderbilt held the defending national champion Yale to a scoreless tie.

1910: Adoption of Key Rule Changes

In 1910, several important rule changes were formally adopted. These included requiring at least seven offensive players on the line of scrimmage at the snap, prohibiting pushing or pulling, and banning interlocking interference to reduce collision injuries.

1910: Denver and Utah join RMAC

In 1910, the University of Denver and the University of Utah joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).

November 25, 1911: First Homecoming Football Game

On November 25, 1911, Kansas played at Missouri in the first homecoming football game. The game was "broadcast" play-by-play over telegraph and ended in a 3-3 tie.

1911: USC switches to Rugby

In 1911, USC switches to rugby.

1912: Touchdowns Raised to Six Points

In 1912, the scoring rules for college football changed: touchdowns were raised to six points.

1913: Rockne and Dorais Defeat Army

In 1913, Knute Rockne and Gus Dorais of Notre Dame defeated Army 35-13 using the forward pass, establishing the school as a national power.

1914: First Roughing-the-Passer Penalty

In 1914, college football implemented the first roughing-the-passer penalty, which changed how quarterbacks were protected.

1915: California Returns to American Football

In 1915, California returned to American football, citing rule changes, student and supporter desire, interest in playing East Coast and Midwest schools, and a patriotic desire to play an "American" game.

1915: Founding of the Southwest Athletic Conference

In 1915, the Southwest Athletic Conference was founded, consisting mostly of schools from Texas.

1915: Construction of Yale Bowl

In 1915, the Yale Bowl was built, which later inspired the shape of the Rose Bowl stadium.

October 7, 1916: Georgia Tech's Record-Breaking Victory

On October 7, 1916, John Heisman's Georgia Tech Golden Tornado won 222 to 0 over Cumberland at Grant Field, marking the most lopsided victory in college football history.

1916: Stanford Plays Rugby Big Game against Santa Clara

In 1916, Stanford played its "Big Game" as rugby union against Santa Clara.

1916: Rose Bowl game reattempted annually

In 1916, the Tournament of Roses decided to reattempt the postseason game annually after the initial 1902 game.

1917: Rise of Centre College

1917 saw the rise of another Southern team in Centre of Danville, Kentucky.

1917: Georgia Tech Claims National Championship

In 1917, Georgia Tech's football team, led by a powerful backfield including Walker Carpenter and Everett Strupper, became the first national champion from the South.

1917: Stanford Plays Rugby Big Game against Santa Clara

In 1917, Stanford played its "Big Game" as rugby union against Santa Clara.

1917: Auburn Ties Ohio State

In 1917, the Auburn Tigers tied the undefeated Chic Harley-led Ohio State team before Georgia Tech beat Auburn.

1918: Rockne Returns to Coach Notre Dame

In 1918, Knute Rockne returned to coach the University of Notre Dame and devised the Notre Dame Box offense.

1918: Stanford returns to American football due to WWI

In 1918, Stanford returned to American football due to the onset of American involvement in World War I. The campus was designated as the Students' Army Training Corps headquarters, and American football was deemed the appropriate athletic activity to train soldiers.

1918: Loosening of Eligible Receiver Rules

In 1918, rules regarding eligible receivers were loosened to allow eligible players to catch the ball anywhere on the field, a change from the previously strict rules.

1919: Heisman leaves Georgia Tech

In 1919, John Heisman left Georgia Tech, his shift was still employed by protégé William Alexander.

1920: Start of Notre Dame's Dominance

1920 marked the beginning of a period of success for Notre Dame, who would win at least a share of the national title in every decade between 1920 and 1990 except for the 1950s.

October 8, 1921: First Live Radio Broadcast of a College Football Game

On October 8, 1921, the game between West Virginia and Pittsburgh saw the first live radio broadcast of a college football game on KDKA, announced by Harold W. Arlin. Pitt won 21-13.

1921: Centre Upset Harvard

In 1921, Bo McMillin-led Centre upset defending national champion Harvard 6 to 0.

October 28, 1922: First Nationally Broadcast Football Game on Radio

On October 28, 1922, Princeton and Chicago played the first game to be nationally broadcast on radio. Princeton won 21-18.

1923: Construction of Rose Bowl stadium

In 1923, the Rose Bowl stadium was built in Pasadena, California, resembling the Yale Bowl.

1924: Walter Camp selects his last All-American team

In 1924, Walter Camp personally selected his annual All-American team for the last time. He had been doing so every year since 1889.

1924: The Four Horsemen backfield

The 1924 Notre Dame football team featured the Four Horsemen backfield.

1925: Death of Walter Camp

In 1925, Walter Camp passed away. He had been employed by the New Haven Clock Company since 1882.

1925: Alabama Wins Rose Bowl

In 1925, coached by Wallace Wade, Alabama won the Rose Bowl, a victory commonly referred to as "the game that changed the south".

1926: Alabama Wins Rose Bowl

Wallace William Wade's 1925 Alabama team won the 1926 Rose Bowl after receiving its first national title.

1927: Georgia's "Dream and Wonder Team" Defeats Yale

In 1927, Georgia's "dream and wonder team" defeated Yale for the first time.

1927: Warner Publishes Football Strategy Book

In 1927, Glenn "Pop" Warner wrote one of the first important books of football strategy, Football for Coaches and Players.

1927: Rule Change due to Rockne's Shifts

In 1927, Rockne's complex shifts directly led to a rule change requiring all offensive players to stop for a full second before the ball could be snapped.

1928: Georgia Tech Wins National Title

William Alexander's 1928 Georgia Tech team defeated California in the 1929 Rose Bowl to win the national title.

October 12, 1929: Yale's First Trip to the South

On October 12, 1929, Yale lost to Georgia in Sanford Stadium during its first trip to the South.

1929: Georgia Tech Wins Rose Bowl

William Alexander's 1928 Georgia Tech team defeated California in the 1929 Rose Bowl to win the national title.

1930: Alabama Wins National Championship and Rose Bowl

In 1930, Wallace Wade's Alabama team won another national championship and the Rose Bowl.

1931: Death of Knute Rockne

In 1931, Knute Rockne died in a plane crash. His funeral was broadcast nationally on radio.

1931: USC Wins National Title

In 1931, the University of Southern California was awarded the national title.

1932: USC Wins National Title

In 1932, the University of Southern California was awarded the national title.

1933: Michigan Wins Title

In 1933, Michigan was among the Big Ten teams dominating.

1934: Minnesota wins Title

In 1934, Minnesota began dominating in the Big Ten, winning 5 titles between 1934 and 1941

1934: Rules Changes to Passing Game

In 1934, the rules committee made changes that had a profound effect on the passing game, removing major penalties for incomplete passes and shrinking the ball's circumference to make it easier to grip and throw. These changes contributed to the growth of the passing game in college football.

1935: First Heisman Trophy Awarded

In 1935, the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City awarded the first Heisman Trophy to Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago. The Heisman Trophy recognizes the nation's "most outstanding" college football player.

1935: Creation of New Bowl Games

In 1935, the Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Sun Bowl were created to match up teams from different regions.

1936: Jay Berwanger first NFL draft pick

In 1936, Jay Berwanger, the first Heisman Trophy winner, became the first-ever NFL draft pick.

1936: AP Poll Began

In 1936, the Associated Press (AP) began its weekly poll of college football teams to rank them.

1937: Creation of Cotton Bowl

In 1937, the Cotton Bowl was created, joining other bowl games in matching up teams from distant regions.

1938: TCU Wins National Championship

In 1938, Texas Christian University (TCU) won the national championship.

1939: Texas A&M Wins National Championship

In 1939, Texas A&M won the national championship, following TCU's win the previous year.

1940: Five Bowl Games

In 1940, at the highest level of college football, there were only five bowl games: Rose, Orange, Sugar, Sun, and Cotton.

1941: Minnesota wins Title

In 1941, Minnesota was among the Big Ten teams dominating, winning 5 titles between 1934 and 1941.

1942: Ohio State Wins Title

In 1942, Ohio State was among the Big Ten teams dominating.

1944: Army Wins National Title

In 1944, the Army football team won a national title under coach Red Blaik after players returned from service in World War II.

1945: Army Wins Back-to-Back National Title and Doc Blanchard wins Heisman Trophy

In 1945, the Army football team secured their second consecutive national title under coach Red Blaik. Additionally, Doc Blanchard (known as "Mr. Inside") won the Heisman Trophy.

1946: Glenn Davis wins Heisman Trophy

In 1946, Glenn Davis (known as "Mr. Outside") won the Heisman Trophy.

1947: Michigan Wins Title

In 1947, Michigan was among the Big Ten teams dominating.

1948: Michigan Wins Title

In 1948, Michigan was among the Big Ten teams dominating.

1950: Eight Bowl Games

By 1950, there were eight major college bowl games.

1950: Oklahoma Wins National Title

In 1950, Oklahoma, coached by Bud Wilkinson, won a national title and continued to build a record 47-game winning streak.

1951: Passing Attempts Averaged 18.9

In 1951, passing attempts averaged 18.9.

1952: NCAA Claims Television Broadcasting Rights

In 1952, the NCAA claimed all television broadcasting rights for the games of its member institutions and negotiated television rights. This lasted until 1984.

1953: Michigan State Joins Big Ten

In 1953, the Michigan State Spartans joined the Big Ten athletically.

1954: Ohio State Wins National Title

In 1954, Woody Hayes led Ohio State to a national title.

1955: Oklahoma Wins National Title

In 1955, Oklahoma, coached by Bud Wilkinson, won another national title.

1956: Oklahoma Wins National Title and Paul Hornung wins Heisman

In 1956, Oklahoma, coached by Bud Wilkinson, won another national title. Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung won the Heisman, becoming the only player from a losing team ever to do so.

1956: 1956 Sugar Bowl Controversy

In 1956, the Sugar Bowl was marked by controversy when Georgia's pro-segregationist Gov. Griffin publicly threatened Georgia Tech and its President Blake Van Leer over allowing an African American player to participate in the game.

1957: Ohio State Wins National Title

In 1957, Woody Hayes led Ohio State to a national title.

1958: NFL Championship Popularity

Following the enormous success of the 1958 NFL Championship Game, college football no longer enjoyed the same popularity as the NFL on a national level.

1966: ABC Sports Began Broadcasting National Game of the Week

In 1966, ABC Sports began broadcasting a national Game of the Week, bringing key matchups and rivalries to a national audience for the first time.

1966: Rugby league introduces four-tackle rule

In 1966, rugby league introduced a four-tackle rule based on Camp's early down-and-distance rules.

1970: Eight Major Bowl Games

In 1970, there were still only eight major college bowl games.

1972: Rugby league changes to six-tackle rule

In 1972, rugby league changed the four-tackle rule to a six-tackle rule based on Camp's early down-and-distance rules.

1976: Eleven Major College Bowl Games

In 1976, the number of major college bowl games grew to eleven.

1979: NCAA committee proposes a four-team playoff

In 1979, an NCAA committee proposed a four-team playoff following the bowl games.

1980: Fifteen Bowls

At the birth of cable television and cable sports networks like ESPN, there were fifteen bowls in 1980.

1984: Supreme Court Rules Against NCAA

In 1984, several schools brought a suit under the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Supreme Court ruled against the NCAA, allowing schools to negotiate their own television deals.

1990: End of Notre Dame's Dominance

1990 marked the end of a period of success for Notre Dame, who had won at least a share of the national title in every decade between 1920 and 1990 except for the 1950s.

1992: Formation of the Bowl Coalition

In 1992, seven conferences and independent Notre Dame formed the Bowl Coalition, which attempted to arrange an annual No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup based on the final AP poll standings.

1995: Bowl Alliance Replaces Coalition

In 1995, the Coalition was replaced by the Bowl Alliance, which reduced the number of bowl games to host a national championship game to three and the participating conferences to five.

1998: Michigan Wins Rose Bowl and Nebraska Wins Orange Bowl

In 1998, Michigan won the Rose Bowl and Nebraska won the Orange Bowl, resulting in a split national title due to conference tie-ins under the Bowl Alliance system.

1998: Bowl Championship Series used to determine national championship game participants

In 1998, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was implemented as a selection method to determine the national championship game participants.

1998: Bowl Championship Series Instituted

In 1998, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was introduced, including all major conferences and four major bowl games to determine a national champion through a complex ranking system.

1998: Creation of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS)

In 1998, the NCAA created the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) to establish a definitive national championship game for college football. The series included the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl.

2005: Utah Selected for BCS

In 2005, Utah became the first and only team from a BCS non-AQ conference to be selected as an at-large team.

2006: Adjustment to the BCS System

In 2006, the NCAA added a fifth game, called the National Championship Game, to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS).

2006: BCS National Championship Game Added

Starting with the 2006 season, a fifth game—simply called the BCS National Championship Game—was added to the schedule, to be played at the site of one of the four BCS bowl games on a rotating basis, one week after the regular bowl game.

2008: 35 Bowl Games

From 1980 to 2008, an additional 20 bowl games were added to the schedule, bringing the total to 35.

2009: Boise State vs. TCU in Fiesta Bowl

In 2009, Boise State played TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, marking the first time two schools from non-AQ conferences played each other in a BCS bowl game.

2009: Number of Bowl games in the 2009 Season

In 2009, there were 34 bowl games, which meant that 68 of the 120 Division I FBS teams were invited to play in a bowl game.

2012: Northern Illinois Reaches BCS Bowl Game

In 2012, Northern Illinois was the last team from the non-AQ ranks to reach a BCS bowl game in the BCS era.

2013: Northern Illinois Plays in Orange Bowl

In 2013, Northern Illinois played in the Orange Bowl and lost.

2013: End of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS)

In 2013, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) ended after the season.

2013: Expansion of Division I FCS Playoff

In 2013, the Division I FCS playoff expanded from 20 to 24 teams to determine the national championship.

2014: Debut of Four-Team College Football Playoff

At the end of the 2014 season, the four-team College Football Playoff debuted, but the NCAA does not operate that tournament, and its winner is not automatically crowned National Champion.

2014: Creation of the College Football Playoff

In 2014, the College Football Playoff (CFP) was created, ending the longtime resistance to a playoff system at the FBS level.

2014: College Football Playoff not directly run by NCAA

In 2014, the College Football Playoff was established, but it was not directly run by the NCAA. The NCAA has never recognized an official FBS national championship.

2014: College Football Playoff (CFP) established

In 2014, the FBS national champion was determined by a four-team tournament known as the College Football Playoff (CFP).

2014: NAIA allows student-athletes to receive NIL compensation

In 2014, the NAIA initially allowed all student-athletes at its member schools to receive compensation for the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL).

2014: Financial Loss for Majority of Major Collegiate Football Programs

In 2014, the majority of major collegiate football programs operated at a financial loss, despite the perception that they generate substantial profit.

2017: Study on CTE in Football Players

In 2017, a study on brains of deceased gridiron football players found that 99% of tested brains of NFL players, 88% of CFL players, 64% of semi-professional players, 91% of college football players, and 21% of high school football players had various stages of CTE.

2020: NAIA allows reference to athletic participation in endorsement deals

In 2020, the NAIA specifically allowed student-athletes to reference their athletic participation in their endorsement deals.

July 2021: NCAA passes NIL reform

In July 2021, the NCAA passed its own name, image, and likeness (NIL) reform, very similar to the NAIA's most recent reform.

2021: NCAA Adopts Temporary Rule Change for NIL Activity

On June 3, 2021, the NCAA's board of directors adopted a temporary rule change that opened the door for name, image, and likeness (NIL) activity, instructing schools to set their own policy for what should be allowed with minimal guidelines. On July 1, 2021, the new rules went into effect, allowing student athletes to start signing endorsements using their name, image and likeness.

2023: Separate NCAA Rules Committees Established

In 2023, separate rules committees were established for each NCAA division to give each division more autonomy over its governance.

2024: CFP expansion to 12 teams effective

In 2024, an agreement was reached to expand the College Football Playoff (CFP) to 12 teams, effective with this season.

2024: Expansion of College Football Playoff

In 2024, the College Football Playoff expanded to a 12-team format.

2025: College Teams Not Restricted

As of 2025, colleges that field a team in the NCAA are not restricted from fielding teams in club or sprint football. No schools field both club and sprint teams at the same time.

2025: Ohio State Buckeyes win the College Football Playoff

In 2025, The Ohio State Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff by defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with a score of 34-23.

2026: Contractual lock-in for CFP arrangement

In 2026, the current arrangement for the College Football Playoff (CFP) and the New Year's Six bowl games was contractually locked in until this season.