History of College Football Review
Early History and Evolution of College Football
Notre Dame's Role in Early College Football
1903-1917 Team Philosophy: Notre Dame's teams desired to play only the best competition, preferring to lose to top-tier teams rather than consistently defeat weaker ones.
Notre Dame vs. Army: Notre Dame emerged victorious in this matchup, which also featured the first recorded forward pass in college football history.
Midwestern KKK (1920s): The Ku Klux Klan in the Midwest shifted its focus during the 1920s, primarily targeting Catholics and immigrants, rather than Black people. Their anti-immigrant stance stemmed from a belief that immigrants held more loyalty to the Pope than to the United States.
This historical context highlights the normalization of demonizing immigrant groups.
Coach Knute Rockne and the 'Fighting Irish' Identity:
Rockne strategically utilized Notre Dame football as a means to unite Irish people, who faced significant discrimination, segregation, and the aggression of groups like the KKK. The epithet "Fighting Irish" originated from the team's literal confrontations with Klansmen.
Seven Key Contributions of Knute Rockne:
Engaging Personality: He possessed a charismatic personality and understood how to connect with people.
Psychological Acumen: Rockne effectively employed psychological strategies in his coaching.
Pioneering Radio Broadcasts: Recognizing that Irish Catholics in Indiana couldn't all attend games, he initiated free radio broadcasts of Notre Dame games, extending their reach across the county, making the team accessible to a wider audience.
Openness to Media: He was among the first coaches to allow cameras at team practices.
National Lecture Series: Rockne toured the U.S., engaging in lecture series about his team, thereby generating significant national hype for Notre Dame football.
Coaching Schools: He established coaching schools for high school coaches, effectively creating a "feeder program" for future talent.
America's First Celebrity Coach: Rockne became the first college football coach to achieve celebrity status, securing brand endorsements and a national profile.
The Case of George Gipp: A local resident from South Bend appealed directly to the university president, requesting that George Gipp, a prominent player, not be expelled, arguing that Gipp's football contributions were vital to Notre Dame's reputation and success.
Carnegie Report (1929)
Purpose: This report aimed to reform college athletics, driven by a former MIT president who held strong negative views on college football.
Critiques of College Football: The report asserted that college football:
Attracted too many unqualified individuals to universities.
Left insufficient time for male students to engage in intellectual pursuits.
Criticized aspects like large stadiums, inflated coaches' salaries, and surging attendance figures.
Characteristics of "Good Programs" (as perceived by the report):
Complicit Administration: An administrative structure that granted football coaches extensive autonomy.
Powerful Alumni Influence: Influential alumni actively assisting in the recruitment process of players.
Rule-Bending Athletic Departments: Athletic departments that were willing to circumvent recruitment regulations.
Behind-the-Scenes Collaboration: Presidents and alumni working discretely to cultivate a culture conducive to football success.
Findings of the Report (Irregularities and Abuses):
Players receiving "under the table" payments.
Players being assigned "no-show" or "short-hour" jobs.
Provision of off-campus apartments for players.
The common use of painkillers among athletes.
An intense focus on "getting them back on the field" quickly after injuries, often at the expense of long-term health.
Access to and reliance on "fancy trainers" for players.
Gates Report (1931)
Controversial Proposals for Reform:
Elimination of athletic dormitories.
Implementation of shorter playing seasons.
Prohibition of off-season training programs.
Promotion of intramural (IM) sports as an alternative.
Recurring Themes for Discussion/Study
The unique importance of College Football in the Southern United States.
Amos Alonzo Stagg's impact at the University of Chicago, including his disregard for player health/recovery and various innovative ideas.
Knute Rockne's legacy at Notre Dame.
The findings and implications of the Carnegie Report.
The historical context of Black mascots in Southern football programs.
The intersection of Black history (transition from slavery to freedom) and the development of College Football in the South.
The Spectacle of College Football and Amos Alonzo Stagg
Identity Foreclosure
Definition: The process of intellectually and emotionally processing the conclusion of a significant part of one's identity before it has actually ended.
The "Spectacle" of College Football (Amos Alonzo Stagg, University of Chicago, 1920s)
Economic Impact: Stagg recognized that college football games were major events that spurred local economic activity during the 1920s boom. Attendees spent money on:
Hotels
Shopping
Restaurants
Merchandise
National Model: Stagg's innovations and the economic model he developed at Chicago became a template for college football nationwide.
Societal Unity: The analogy of the American electorate residing primarily within the "20 yard lines" of a football field suggests that Americans are less polarized than social media often indicates. College football, like in Stagg's Chicago, serves as a unifying force, bringing people from diverse backgrounds together.
Amos Alonzo Stagg's Nine Innovations and Contributions:
Establishing the Spectacle: Stagg consciously worked to establish college football as a grand spectacle, even in polarized urban environments (e.g., bringing together Italian and Irish communities).
Extended Season Advocate: As a fierce competitor, he advocated for an extended season, often proposing from August to May.
Stadium Construction: He championed the development and construction of dedicated football stadiums.
Community Involvement: Stagg sought ways to engage individuals not officially enrolled at the university in the football experience.
Philanthropy and Success Link: He understood the direct connection between philanthropic support and winning games. For example, Virginia Tech saw an increase in applications from 73,000 in 2024 to 90,000 in 2025, largely attributed to the success of its football team.
Football Dominance and Academic Prestige: Stagg worked to link a team's football dominance with the academic prestige of the institution, suggesting that a lower acceptance rate could be tied to on-field success.
Modern Scoreboards: He proposed the use of large boards to display scores and advertisements during games.
Evolution of "Student-Athlete" to "Athlete-Student": The phrase "student-athlete" was coined by the NCAA in the 1950s primarily to avoid paying players and circumventing workman's compensation claims. Stagg's practices contributed to the shift in perception towards prioritizing athletic roles.
Modern Recruiting Apparatus: Stagg was instrumental in introducing the contemporary system of recruiting athletes.
Controversial Stance: Stagg did not initially want any academic standards for athletes.
The Decline and Shutdown of Football at the University of Chicago (1939)
Reasons for Termination:
Decreased Attendance: A significant decline in game attendance contributed to the program's financial and cultural viability.
Rise of High School Football: The growing popularity of high school football in Chicago diverted local interest.
Athlete Welfare Concerns: A Michigan player's suicide 30 years after a game, explicitly stating he was "repaying for what he had done," highlighted the immense pressure and psychological toll placed on young athletes. This event underscored the need for caution regarding the demands and criticism directed at them.
President Hutchins' Stance: Robert Maynard Hutchins, the university president, famously declared, "Football, fraternities, & fun have no place at a university. They were introduced to entertain those who shouldn't be in the university." His intellectual disdain for professionalized athletics was a major factor.
Notre Dame's Popularity: The surging popularity of Notre Dame's football program overshadowed Chicago's.
Strict Academic Standards: The University of Chicago began to implement increasingly stringent academic standards, making it harder to recruit and retain athletes who could meet both athletic and academic demands.
Lack of Advocacy: With Stagg's departure, there was no longer a strong internal force advocating for the football program.
Amos Alonzo Stagg's Character: He was recognized as an innovator and a risk-taker, but also possessed an "enormous ego."
Post-Civil War South and College Football's Significance
Emancipation Proclamation and Post-War Goals (1865)
General Stanton's Inquiry: Four months before the Civil War concluded, General Stanton asked formerly enslaved individuals in his army about their post-war aspirations. Their primary desires were property ownership and to be left undisturbed.
Six Goals of Formerly Enslaved People:
Escape Plantations: To physically distance themselves from the sites of their enslavement.
Name Changes: To shed "slave" names and adopt new identities.
Family Reunification: To locate and reunite with fragmented family members.
Property Acquisition: To own land, enabling them to:
Build homes.
Grow food for sustenance.
Cultivate crops for sale.
Education: To establish and attend schools.
Black Business Infrastructure: To build vibrant economic communities and generate generational wealth.
"Getting Sold Down the River": This phrase refers to the practice of selling slaves from older slave states like the Carolinas and Virginia to the burgeoning agricultural regions of the Deep South (e.g., Texas, Louisiana, Alabama), a practice facilitated by the expansion of U.S. territory through the Louisiana Purchase.
"Psychological Wage" for Poor Whites: Wealthy white elites propagated the idea to poor whites that while they might not achieve similar economic success, at least they were inherently superior to Black people. This "psychological wage" served to divide lower economic classes.
White Southern Backlash: The success of Black communities in building wealth led to strong resentment among white Southerners, fostering ideologies that contributed to Nazism-aligned sentiment and the implementation of segregationist policies.
Six Goals of White Southerners (Post-Civil War)
Reinforce Inferiority: To remind Black people of their perceived inferiority.
Forced Labor: To compel Black people to return to agricultural labor in the fields.
Sharecropping: A system designed to keep Black farmers in perpetual debt, providing white landowners with crops while giving Black farmers only a small, often unfair, portion of the profit, or sometimes none at all.
/
The SEC, Sectionalism, and Historical Injustice
Grandfather Clause: A discriminatory voting rule that prevented individuals from voting if their grandfathers had been unable to vote, largely disenfranchising Black citizens.
African American Voting Numbers in Louisiana (Illustrative Decline):
1896: 130,000
1900: 5,300
1904: 1,300
The numbers eventually plummeted to as low as 17 registered voters.
Convict Leasing: Jails established "farms" and would convict Black individuals of minor or fabricated crimes, subsequently forcing them to work to death on these farms.
SEC and Confederacy Overlap: There is a significant geographical overlap between the states comprising the SEC and those of the former Confederacy, creating a cultural and historical link often expressed through chants like "SEC! SEC!"
Northern Influence on Southern Teams: Many Southern college football teams drew inspiration from Northern institutions (e.g., Georgia Bulldogs mimicking Yale Bulldogs; Auburn and UVA sharing colors).
Late Adoption of CFB in the South: The South was one of the last regions to embrace college football.
Early Fatality: An early player from Georgia died the day after an injury. Efforts to ban college football in Georgia were thwarted by his mother, who asserted that "football turns boys into men."
Black Mascots: Historically, prominent Southern teams like Georgia, Auburn, and Ole Miss employed Black men as their mascots, often depicting racial stereotypes.
Nine Reasons Football Holds Greater Significance in the South
History of Violence: The Deep South has a historical culture of violence, including practices like duels and the prevalence of guns.
Civil War and Masculinity: Football became a means for Southerners to assert masculinity and regional pride after the Civil War. Unable to consistently defeat the North academically or militarily, football offered a new battleground. It addressed an underlying "inferiority complex."
Absence of Professional Sports: For an extended period, the South lacked professional sports teams, making college football the primary sports obsession.
Bragging Rights: It provided Southerners with a platform for bragging rights over Northerners.
Common Ground: Paradoxically, it helped Southerners find common ground and connection with Northerners through shared sporting interest.
Culture of Honor: The sport resonated with a deep-seated "honor-like" dueling culture inherent in Southern society.
Manhood: Football was seen as a crucible for developing and demonstrating manhood.
Bridge to University: For many regular, uneducated individuals, college football served as a crucial cultural bridge connecting them to university life and prestige.
Defensive Pride: The most humiliating way to lose a game was considered to be having "the ball run down your throat," emphasizing the importance of physical dominance.
Ivy League Origins and the Commercialization of College Football
Racial Perceptions of Black Players
Shifting Narratives: The transcript notes a hypothetical scenario where a neighbor is not upset by seeing a Black player on the field because they are not perceived as "taking a spot away from someone more qualified." This raises the question: is the Black player "qualified" in the full sense, or merely for their athletic ability?
Beyond Entertainment: There was a shift in perception, where Black athletes were no longer seen simply as a source of entertainment.
Ivy League Origins of College Football
Walter Camp (Yale): Regarded as the "Father of College Football," Camp played for 10 years and was instrumental in formalizing the rules of the game.
Pioneering Institutions: The earliest and most influential college football programs originated from the Ivy League schools:
Princeton
Harvard
Yale
University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
Early Eligibility Rules: Initially, to be eligible to play, individuals had to either hold a job or be financially supported by someone else. This rule was designed to keep the sport largely confined to wealthy individuals.
Vicious Early Play (1884-1894): The game was characterized by its brutal and often dangerous physicality during this decade.
Football and Masculinity
Toughening Up Children: Parents frequently encouraged their children to play football as a means to "toughen them up" and instill traditional masculine traits.
Thanksgiving Game (1873, NYC): A significant Thanksgiving Day game in New York City is credited with transforming college football into a major commercial enterprise.
Commercial Spectacle: This game established practices that became hallmarks of the sport's commercialization:
Fans arriving early for pre-game events.
Dedicated press boxes with hundreds of news reporters.
Fans being segregated by economic class in seating arrangements.
Signaled that football was becoming "more than just a game."
Charles Elliot, President of Harvard (Reforms and Critiques)
Implemented Changes: During his presidency, Harvard introduced several features to support its football team:
Spring football practice.
Separate eating facilities exclusively for players.
A structured daily practice schedule.
A dramatic increase (fourfold) in medical staff dedicated solely to the team.
Elliot's Complaints Against Football: He vocally expressed concerns that football was dominating the campus environment and impacting the university negatively:
Reputational Damage: He believed it detracted from Harvard's academic reputation.
External Entertainment: He disliked its role in entertaining the non-collegiate public.
Academic Interference: He argued it consumed an excessive amount of a student's academic time.
Academic Unfitness: He believed it rendered students academically unfit.
Distraction: He viewed it as a significant distraction from academic life.
Elliot's Proposed Reforms: In response to his concerns, Elliot suggested several radical changes:
Prohibiting freshmen from participating in varsity football.
Eliminating neutral site games.
Restricting athletes to playing only one sport.
Implementing a system where football would be played only every other year, allowing athletes time to rest and focus on academics.
Alumni Influence and Black Athletes in Early College Football
Alumni Control (By 1900)
Funding Power: By the turn of the 20th century, most college football teams were effectively controlled by alumni. The financial influence was so substantial that a single wealthy family could fund an entire player position.
William Lewis: Pioneering Black Athlete
Harvard Student-Athlete: William Lewis was the first Black player at Harvard, notably while simultaneously attending law school.
Celebrity Status: His presence was celebrated with a parade by Harvard, highlighting his celebrity status.
Differential Treatment: He was treated distinctively from other Black students at Harvard, indicative of the unique status given to prominent Black athletes.
First Wave of Black Athletes in the Ivy League (1920s-1930s)
Academic Excellence: The initial wave of Black athletes in the Ivy League were generally also distinguished students.
Question of Identity: Their presence raised a fundamental question: were audiences cheering for the "jersey" (the institution) or for the "individual" (the athlete themselves)?