History Room

It started on November 6, 1869, when Rutgers beat Princeton 6–4 in a game that looked more like rugby than anything you'd see on a Saturday today. Over the next century the sport grew into a national religion built on regional pride: leather helmets gave way to facemasks, the single wing gave way to the T-formation and the option, and rivalries like the Iron Bowl, The Game and the Red River Rivalry became family heirlooms.

Crowning a champion was always the sport's great argument. For decades the title was decided by polls — the AP poll began in 1936 — which often left two teams claiming the crown. The Bowl Championship Series (1998–2013) matched the top two teams in one game, but left plenty of unbeaten teams on the outside. The four-team College Football Playoff followed from 2014 to 2023, and in 2024 the field grew to twelve teams. Curious how the old years would have played out? Try the What-If brackets.

The new landscape. The last few years changed the sport more than the previous fifty. Players can now earn money from their name, image and likeness (2021), transfer and play right away, and — after the House settlement in 2025 — be paid directly by their schools. Conference realignment redrew the map: Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington joined the Big Ten, and the Pac-12 was left with just two members for a time. The SEC and Big Ten now sit at the top of the sport, with the Big 12 and ACC close behind and the Group of Five fighting for a playoff seat.

Through all of it, the heart of the game hasn't moved: a crisp fall afternoon, a packed stadium and a fight song. Pick any program above to open its file.