With the Villanova Wildcats and Colgate Raiders kickoff in Hamilton, New York, on August 24, this marked the beginning of something special—the 150th season of college football. To celebrate the occasion, the NCAA and College Football Playoff formed a nonprofit organization to plan and administer a national celebration of the sport’s anniversary.
The aptly named College Football 150th Anniversary (CFB150) will showcase the rich history and traditions of the sport and its contribution to American society, while also promoting the opportunity provided to thousands of student-athletes across all levels of college football.
The date of the very first college football game was November 6, 1869. Rutgers defeated Princeton by a score of 6–4. The game was played on a plot of ground where present-day Rutgers gymnasium now stands in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
This season, a number of special commemorations are scheduled during that Anniversary Week in November. They include recognition during the NFL’s Monday Night Football game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants on November 4, the Miami (Ohio) versus Ohio game on November 6, a Rutgers University campus tribute on November 6, and the Princeton versus Dartmouth game in Yankee Stadium on November 9.
On college fields, the CFB150 anniversary logo may be seen on more than 200,000 uniforms and helmets of players from Division I through community college levels, in hopes of a nationwide blitz of exposure and celebration of football in America’s schools.
During game broadcasts this fall, networks will be airing unique content about the sport’s history. That special recognition will carry through into postseason as the 41 bowl games, playoffs and championship game celebrate the occasion.
Other participating organizations in the season-long celebration include the American Football Coaches Association, Football Bowl Association, National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, National Football Foundation, NFL, College Football Hall of Fame, NAIA and NJCAA.
