Myths and Stories from College Football’s First One Hundred Years

This chapter uses college football’s first season in 1869 and its centennial season in 1969 to discuss key aspects of its history. It discusses how myths have been used to celebrate and promote the game. The game played between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869 is generally considered to be the first intercollegiate football game and is celebrated in art and lore, especially during the centennial season of 1969. That year students and players used the game to protest racism and the Vietnam War. This introductory chapter also provides an overview of the rest of the book.