The first college football game took place in 1869, between two colleges in New Jersey. Which two teams played this first game?

On November 6, 1869, students from Rutgers College, now Rutgers University, and the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, faced off in New Brunswick, New Jersey, for what is considered the first intercollegiate football game. The contest, witnessed by about 100 spectators, was the result of a growing rivalry between the neighboring schools. In a hard-fought match, Rutgers secured a victory with a final score of 6-4.

The game itself was a far cry from modern American football. Played with 25 players on each side, the rules were a modified version of the London Football Association's regulations, which meant the round ball could only be advanced by kicking it. Throwing or running with the ball was not permitted. To distinguish themselves, the Rutgers players wore scarlet-colored scarfs as turbans. Each score was considered a "game," and the objective was to be the first to reach ten games.

A rematch was held a week later at Princeton, where the home team won 8-0 under a different set of rules that favored their style of play. A planned third game to decide the season was never played, reportedly due to faculty concerns that the sport was becoming a distraction from academics. As a result of the two-game series, both Princeton and Rutgers were retroactively awarded a share of the 1869 national championship. This historic contest between the two New Jersey schools marked the beginning of a beloved American tradition.