The Economics of College Football: Season II

College Football Has Come a Long Way Since 1869

With fall rapidly approaching, the opening kickoff to the 2019 season is upon us. The action begins with two special "Week Zero" matchups, as the University of Miami and the University of Florida square off in Orlando and Arizona travels to Honolulu to take on Hawaii. Most teams begin play the following week on August 31, although there will be 24 Football Ball Subdivision (FBS) matchups on the Thursday and Friday leading up to the traditional Week One kickoff Saturday. We will preview a selected matchup each week, including a brief history of the teams on the gridiron, as well as an analysis and forecast of the respective economies of each school's state and hometown.

This season marks the 150th anniversary of college football, which had its genesis in a November 6, 1869 matchup between Princeton and Rutgers, where the play resembled something closer to a mix of tackle soccer and rugby than modern day football. In the early days, the game was dominated by elite private universities in the Northeast, with Columbia, Yale and Stevens Institute of Technology soon joining the action. A meeting in New York City in 1873 attempted to standardize and codify the rules of the game, marking the first step towards the modern day NCAA. Walter Camp—considered one of fathers of American football—was the driving force behind several innovations, including the 11-man roster, line of scrimmage and snap from center to quarterback.

College football soon expanded geographically, mirroring the economic development and industrialization unfolding at the turn of the century across the United States. In the Midwest, Michigan, the University of Chicago, Northwestern and Minnesota all started programs while the game eventually spread out West, with Southern Cal playing St. Vincent's in 1889. The game quickly spread to the South, where in 1895 it is believed that the first forward pass occurred in a game between Georgia and North Carolina. Concern about on-field fatalities got the White House involved, with President Teddy Roosevelt insisting on higher safety standards. The Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the predecessor to the NCAA, was formed as a result in 1906.

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