HISTORY(Collegiate Game)

[1869-1879]

1869 - The Inaugural Football Game

• Using customized rules borrowed from the London Football Association, Princeton battled Rutgers in the inaugural college soccer football game. The game was vastly different than today's. The playing field measured 120 yards long and 75 yards wide (today's standard field is 100 yards by 53.5). Following each score or goal, the teams changed directions, much like how games are played on sandlots across the country today. Advancing the ball was different comparatively, as it could only be advanced by kicking or batting it with the feet, hands, heads, or sides. Also, each team had 25 players on the field at one time. All goals were worth one point and each point scored was tallied as a "game", after 10 games a winner would be decided. Rutgers prevailed, 6-4.
  
  America's introduction to football took place in Brunswick, N.J. where 100 fans gathered to view this new game called soccer football.
  
  That initial game emerged through a challenge issued from Rutgers. As a result, three games were scheduled between the two schools that are separated by a mere 20 miles. Princeton won the second match up. A third game was never played, and Princeton, with a record of 1-1, was later voted National Champions. The next seven years brought many changes as modern football, now gaining favor with major eastern schools, developed and molded itself from rugby.

1876 - American Football & Walter Camp

• Walter Camp, whose name would become synonymous with football at every level, became involved with the game of American Football. The first documentation of written rules for American football was recorded at the Massasoit convention.

  [1880-1890]

  1892 - The First Professional Football Player

  • On November 12, a rivalry between neighboring Allegheny Athletic Association (AAA) and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club (PAC) spurred the making of the first professional football player. William "Pudge" Heffelfinger, of AAA, received $500 for his efforts against PAC. The signing proved instrumental for AAA as Heffelfinger returned a fumble recovery 35 yards for a touchdown. AAA won, 4-0.

    [1891-1901]

    1895 - The Roots of the Big Ten Conference

    Ron Dayne

    • Representatives from seven Midwestern universities met in Chicago to discuss the regulation and control of intercollegiate athletics. The meeting resulted in a league called the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives. This league eventually was renamed the Western Conference and then starting in 1912 was generally referred to as The Big Ten.
      
      However, the title Big Ten was not formally introduced until 1984. Charter members were Northwestern, Purdue, Chicago, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Iowa and Indiana joined the league in December 1899. Michigan withdrew from the conference in 1907 but rejoined it 10 years later. Ohio State became a member in 1912. In 1939, the University of Chicago dropped football and withdrew from the conference in 1946. Michigan State took the place of Chicago in 1949 and was first eligible for the conference title in 1953. The league stayed quiet until 1990 when it welcomed football power Penn State University. The Nittany Lions were first eligible for the conference title in 1993.

    1901 - Hail to the Maze and Blue

    • Michigan was the first Big Ten team and first non-Ivy League school to win the national title, having outscored opponents 501-0. It demolished Stanford 49-0 in the Tournament of Roses postseason game.

      [1902-1912]

      1902 - Rose Bowl

      • On January 1, the first Rose Bowl was played between Michigan and Stanford. The Wolverines crushed the Cardinal 49-0. Until 2002, when it served as the national championship game between Miami and Nebraska, the Rose Bowl had always been played between the winner of the Big Ten conference and the Pac-10 champion.

      1905 - Amos Alonzo Stagg

      • Amos Alonzo Stagg led Chicago to a 10-0 record and the national title. In doing so, Chicago ended Michigan's 56-game unbeaten streak. Chicago, led by quarterback Walter Eckersall, was the only school to win the national title that is not currently in Division I-A or the Ivy League.

      1907 - Big Twelve Roots Formed

      • The Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association was formed in January 1907. Its members included Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Washington University of St. Louis. Iowa St. (Ames College at the time) and Drake joined in 1908. Iowa dropped out after the 1910 season to join the Big Ten. Kansas State replaced Iowa in 1913. Grinnell College was next to join the conference, gaining membership in 1919. The University of Oklahoma joined in 1920. In 1925, the league expanded to 10 teams when Oklahoma A&M College (Oklahoma St) joined.

        [1913-1923]

        1915 - Pac-10 was Born

        • On December 1, the roots of the Pacific-10 conference were formed when university representatives from California, Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington met in Portland to form the Pacific Coast Conference. Football began play the following fall in 1916. Washington State University ('17), Stanford University ('18), University of Idaho ('22), Southern California ('22), the University of Montana ('24), and the University of California at Los Angeles ('28) soon joined the league. Montana would eventually drop out in 1950 and Idaho did the same when it rejoined the AAWU, which was formed when the PCC dissolved in 1959. The AAWU included California, Southern California, Stanford, UCLA, and Washington. Washington State joined in 1962 with Oregon and Oregon State following in 1964. In 1968, the league became known as the Pacific-8.
          
          On July 1, 1978, Arizona and Arizona State entered the league. The league was renamed the Pacific-10 and is often referred to as Pac-10. California was the first Pac-10 team to win the national championship in 1920.

        1916 - "Pop" Warner Captured Title

        • Guided by coach "Pop" Warner, Pittsburgh won the national championship and in doing so, outscored opponents 255-25 for an 8-0 record. Pittsburgh won the title again two years later in 1918.

        1919 - Notre Dame Won First National Title

        • Notre Dame captured its first of 13 national championships. Notre Dame has won 11 consensus titles.

        1920 - Boston College Eagles

        • Dissatisfied because Boston College did not have an official emblem for its athletic teams, Father Edward McLaughlin wrote a letter to the student newspaper suggesting the name "Eagles." The name was quickly adopted by the student body.

        1921 - Football Hit the Air Waves

        • In the first radio broadcast of a football game Pittsburgh defeated West Virginia 21-13. The contest was broadcast by KDKA in Pittsburgh, the nation's fully licensed commercial radio station.

        1922 - Princeton Grabbed Title

        • Ivy League power Princeton claimed its 17th National Championship. However, it was the last title for the New-Jersey based school. Currently, Princeton is second with 17 National Football Championships.

        1923 - Night Lights

        • On September 23, Cincinnati beat Kentucky Wesleyan 17-0 in the first college football game played at night and under the lights.

          [1924-1934]

          1924 - Four Horsemen

          • Knute Rockne's first national championship squad at Notre Dame was led by the "Four Horsemen". Quarterback Hayy Stuldreher, fullback Elmer Layden, and halfbacks Jim Crowley and Don Miller formed Notre Dame's legendary backfield.

          1926 - Army v. Navy Set Attendance Record

          • In college football, Army and Navy played to a 21-21 tie in front of an estimated 110,000 spectators. It was the first college football game to draw at least 100,000 fans.

          1927 - Yale Claimed National Title

          • Yale won its record 18th national championship. However, 1927 is the last time the Bulldogs were crowned National Champions. The University of Miami adopts the nickname Hurricanes prior to its first varsity action for the school. It came about as the result of a devastating hurricane that swept through the area in September. As a result of helping clean up in the community, the Miami players proclaimed they would sweep away opponents like a hurricane.

          Brian Bosworth

          1928 - Reconstruction of the MVIAA (Big Twelve)

          • Six of the seven state institutions in the MVIAA organized to separate from the conference. They would retain the MVIAA title but become known as the Big 6 Conference. The remaining schools eventually formed the Missouri Valley Conference.
            
            The Big 6 was composed of Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. In 1947, Colorado joined the conference. Oklahoma A&M also joined the conference, but changed its name to Oklahoma State University. In 1968, with eight members, the conference officially changed its name to the Big 8 Conference.
            
            In 1996, the conference expanded to 12 teams with Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech beginning play. Texas upset Nebraska, 37-27, in the first Big 12 title game.

          1932 - Southeastern Conference Formed

          • The 13 most western and southern members of the Southern Conference broke off to form the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Charter members were the universities of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisiana State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Sewanee, Tennessee, Tulane, and Vanderbilt. League play began with the 1933 football season. In 1940, Sewanee, having never won a conference game, withdrew from the league. Georgia Tech and Tulane withdrew from the league in 1964 and 1966, respectively.
            
            In 1992, Arkansas and South Carolina began play in the SEC, splitting the conference into two divisions, East and West. The winners of each division play each year in the SEC championship game.

          1934 - Golden Gophers

          • The Minnesota Golden Gophers claimed their first national championship following an 8-0 season. They continued that success with an 8-0 campaign in 1935 and a 7-1 record in 1936 to claim three straight national titles. That success resurfaced in 1940 and '41 as Minnesota went 8-0 both seasons to win consecutive titles. Sharing the title with the Golden Gophers was Alabama. In doing so, Alabama claimed the SEC's first title after the conference was formed. It was the Tide's third national championship.

          Heisman Trophy [1935-1945] 1935 - Heisman Trophy Established The Heisman Trophy was established and every year awarded to college football's top player. Jay Berwanger of Chicago was the first recipient of the award. Ohio State's Archie Griffin was the only player to win two Heisman awards (1974, 1975). In 1997, Charles Woodson, of Michigan, beat out favorite Peyton Manning, of Tennessee. Woodson became the first primarily defensive player to win the award. 1936 - AP Decided National Champion The Associated Press (AP) Poll began in 1936 and is still widely used to determine the national champion. Since 1936, the team with the most national championships is Notre Dame with nine. Alabama and Oklahoma are tied for second with seven. 1937 - NCAA & Statistics The NCAA began taking official statistics for the first time in football. The star of that season was Colorado's Byron "Whizzer" White. White led the nation in four categories: rushing, total offense, scoring, and kick scoring. 1941 - Buckeye Heaven Ohio State finished 9-1 to win a share of its first national title. In 1954, the Buckeyes claimed a share of their second national title, finishing 9-0 and beating Southern California 20-7 in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State claimed another share of the title in 1957. [1946-1956] 1950 - Big Ten Victorious Oklahoma won the MVIAA's (Big Ten) first national championship, despite losing to coach "Bear" Bryant and Kentucky in the Sugar Bowl. 1953 - ACC Established Founded on May 8, 1953, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) was formed from the Southern Conference. Representatives from Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest, meeting at Sedgefield Inn near Greensboro, North Carolina, agreed to withdraw from the Southern Conference and set up a new league to be known as the Atlantic Coast Conference. Chris Weinke Competition for the football crown began that fall. On Dec. 3 the University of Virginia joined the league. The league stayed stable until 1971 when South Carolina withdrew to become an independent. The Gamecocks would later join the Southeastern Conference. Maryland went 10-0 during the regular season and despite a 7-0 loss Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, won the national championship in the ACC's first season. At one time, the University of Maryland's nickname was the Farmers followed by the Old Liners before it settled on Terrapins. 1955 - Welcome to the College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame was established in 1955 in South Bend, Indiana. Also in 1955, Clemson began an NCAA-record 29 straight wins over Virginia. The streak lasted until 1990 and is the record for wins against a major opponent in a nonconsecutive series. [1957-1967] 1957 - Streak Ends Notre Dame defeated Oklahoma 7-0 ending the Sooners' 47-game unbeaten streak. The feat started in 1953. It is still the longest Division I winning streak of all time. 1961 - What's My Name? The University of Maryland football team became the first team to have players' names on the backs of its jerseys. Under the tutelage of "Bear" Bryant, Alabama won its fourth national title, its first under Bryant. Three years later, the Tide were making waves again, this time with a star quarterback named Joe Namath. Namath, who would later guide the New York Jets to a Super Bowl victory, quarterbacked Alabama to a 10-0 regular-season record. 1962 - Birth of the WAC Several schools that made up the defunct Skyline 8 and Border Conferences got together in July 1962 to form the Western Athletic Conference. With members from nine states and four time zones, the conference became the largest and most geographically diverse in the NCAA. Charter members included the University of Arizona, Arizona State, Brigham Young, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Texas-El Paso and Colorado State were admitted in 1967 and began football in 1968. In 1978, Arizona and Arizona St. withdrew from the league to join the Pac-10. Later that year, San Diego State joined the conference. The University of Hawaii was admitted in 1979 and Air Force Academy united with the conference in 1980. Fresno St. became the 10th member of the conference in 1991 and began play in 1992. Effective in 1996, the WAC added six more schools: Tulsa, San Jose State, Nevada-Las Vegas, Rice, Southern Methodist and Texas Christian. With 16 teams in the conference, it was spilt up into two divisions, Mountain and Pacific. A playoff decided the league champion. The league split again in 1998. Eight members withdrew to form the Mountain West Conference. Those teams were Wyoming, Utah, UNLV, San Diego St., New Mexico, Colorado St., BYU, and Air Force. TCU left the following year to join Conference USA. Nevada, Louisiana Tech and Boise St. joined the WAC in 2000. The first consensus All-American from a WAC member after the formation of the conference was defensive end Mike Bell of Colorado State in 1978. 1966 - Split Outcome Michigan St. and Notre Dame played to a 10-10 tie in one of the greatest games ever played. The teams would split the national championship following the season. [1968-1978] 1968 - Lasting Impression Ohio State won the national title with a 9-0 record, defeating USC 27-16 in the Rose Bowl. The national championship was the last by a Big Ten school until Michigan claimed a share of the 1997 crown with Nebraska. Penn State, which joined the league in 1990, won national crowns in 1982 and 1986. Penn State was an Eastern independent at the time. 1969 - 100 Year Anniversary On December 6, number one Texas, winners of 18-straight, squared off against Arkansas, victorious in 15-concecutive games, in college football's 100th Anniversary game. With nearly the entire sports landscape watching the game, it received a 50-share in the television ratings, meaning half of the TV sets in America tuned into the game. Arkansas bolted to an early 14-0 lead before Texas, led by quarterback James Street, rallied in the fourth quarter. First, Street ran for a 42-yard score that was followed by a two-point conversion. Then, with just under four minutes remaining, James connected with Randy Perchel, who raced 44 yards for the game-winning score. President Richard Nixon, who had flown to the game via helicopter, presented Texas with a national championship trophy. 1971 - Nebraska 35, Oklahoma 31 Fifty-five million Americans tuned in on Thanksgiving Day as number one Nebraska battled number two Oklahoma. Riding an offense that hadn't scored less than 30 points in a game all season and the nation's top defense, the Cornhuskers entered the game with a 29-game win streak. The Sooners countered with an offense that averaged 45 points per game. In a shootout, the Sooners led 31-28 with 7:05 remaining. Then, the Cornhuskers took over marching down the field on the legs of running backs Jeff Kinney and Johnny Rodgers. After getting the ball to the 15, Kinney carried four straight times, the final one producing the winning touchdown. [1979-1989] 1980 - Freshman Sensation Led by freshman sensation running back Herschel Walker, Georgia gave the SEC its third straight national championship. The Bulldogs finished with an 11-0 record and upended Notre Dame 17-0 in the Sugar Bowl. It would be the last national title for the SEC until 1992, when Alabama shocked Miami 34-13 in the Sugar Bowl. 1982 - The Stanford Band Ahead, 20-19, following a Mark Harmon field goal, Stanford looked to secure its first bowl game appearance under star quarterback John Elway. After Harmon's 35-yard field goal, Cardinal players went crazy, running onto the field and getting a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. What followed, however, was the most bizarre finish in college football history. California's Kevin Moen scooped up Harmon's squib kick, and as he was about to be tackled, tossed the ball to Richard Rogers. Rodgers then flipped it to Dwight Garner. Garner was immediately tackled, but before going down, pitched it back to Rogers. With the ball at midfield, Rogers lateraled it to Mariet Ford. Ford pitched it over to Moen, the initiator of the return, who weaved his way through Stanford defenders and, yes, Stanford band members, who where on the field because they thought the game was over. As Moen crossed the goal line he jumped in celebration, crushing a trombone player. After huddling for five minutes to sort out the mess that ensued, officials concluded that the Bears had indeed won the game, 25-20, and thus, prevented Elway from ever leading Stanford to a bowl game. Elway would later become the first pick in the 1983 NFL draft and a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Denver Broncos. 1984 - Boston College's Hail Mary On November 22, the day after Thanksgiving, Boston College and Miami squared off in one of the most exciting games in history. Trailing, 45-41, with seconds remaining, BC found itself 48 yards from the end zone. Eagles quarterback Doug Flutie, who had already attempted 45 passes in the game, scrambled to his right, narrowly averting a Miami defender, then let the ball fly from his own 37-yard line. Having figured Flutie couldn't throw the ball that far, the Miami secondary let receiver Gerald Phelan sneak behind them in the end zone. The ball came straight down over the mass of players and into Phelan's arms. Flutie's throw would travel nearly 65 yards in the air. Phelan would finish with 11 catches for 226 yards. Flutie, the 5-foot-8 lynchpin, completed 34 of 46 passes for 476 yards and three touchdowns. He later claimed the Heisman Trophy as BC finished the season 10-2 and won its first bowl game since 1941. After becoming the third Heisman Trophy winner to sign with the USFL, Flutie went on to the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots of the NFL. Not getting much of an opportunity because of his size, Flutie went to the Canadian Football League in 1990 where he was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player six times and won numerous Grey Cups. In 1998, Flutie returned to the NFL, winning a starting job with the Buffalo Bills and then the San Diego Chargers. Maryland quarterback Frank Reich engineered the greatest comeback in NCAA Division I-A history by leading the Terrapins to a 42-40 victory over the Miami Hurricanes. Years later, Reich led the Buffalo Bills to the greatest comeback in the NFL Playoffs against the Houston Oilers. Miami bolted to a 31-0 lead at intermission behind the play of quarterback Bernie Kosar, who passed for 240 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. To initiate the scoring for Maryland, Reich threw a 39-yard touchdown pass then, cut the deficit to 31-14 with a one-yard touchdown run. After scoring 21 points in the third quarter and adding a score early in the fourth, the Terrapins found themselves trailing 34-28. That was until Reich connected with Greg Hill for a 68-yard score to give Maryland the lead. Miami continued to falter as it fumbled the ensuing kick return, allowing the Terrapins to get the ball deep in Hurricane territory. Maryland took advantage, scoring a touchdown to cap a 42-3 run. 1988 - Run Barry, Run Oklahoma State junior and Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders set the all-time single-season rushing record by running for 2,628 yards, an average of 238.9 yards per game. He also scored 39 touchdowns, a record for one season. Sanders would go on and earn the NFC Rookie of the Year award in the NFL. Twice he was named NFL Player of the Year (1991, '97). In 1997, he rushed for 2,053 yards. Sanders is the number three all-time rusher with 15,269 yards. He abruptly retired prior to the 1999 season. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2004. Notre Dame won the national championship with, perhaps, the greatest collection of talent ever in college football. Twenty-one of Notre Dame's 22 starters played in the NFL. The lone exception was All-American quarterback Tony Rice. Notre Dame's defense had four first-team All-Americans: defensive end Frank Stams, tackle Chris Zorich and linebackers Mike Stonebreaker and Wes Pritchett. Not to be outdone, the offense had running back Ricky Watters, lineman Andy Heck, and Rice. [1990-2000] 1991 - The Big East becomes a Football Power Kevin Jones Known throughout the country as a powerful basketball conference, The Big East formed a football conference to accommodate member football powers Boston College, Miami (Fla.), Pittsburgh, and Syracuse. After Miami had been admitted to full league membership in 1990, a series of meetings in late 1990 and early 1991 led to football membership only for former independents Rutgers, Temple, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia. Conference competition began with the 1991 football season, and round-robin play began in 1993. In 1994, Rutgers and West Virginia accepted invitations for full conference status. In 1999, Virginia Tech accepted fulltime membership in the conference. Like the ACC, the Big East Conference won a national championship in its first season of football when Miami was crowned National Champion. It was Miami's fourth football national championship. 1993 - Ward's Show Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward became the first ACC player to win the Heisman Trophy. Ward, also a point guard on the FSU basketball team, never played in the NFL, but was drafted in the first round of the NBA draft by the New York Knicks. Ward went on to have a solid pro basketball career. 1994 - Washington Ended Miami's Unbeaten Streak The University of Washington ended the University of Miami's 58-game home winning streak. The Huskies defeated the Hurricanes 38-20. Miami's streak began with a 30-0 victory over Cincinnati in 1985. 1995 - Conference USA Formed Conference USA was formed with six football playing members. Five of the charter members (Tulane, Memphis, Cincinnati, Southern Mississippi, Louisville) were independents prior to joining the new league. The University of Houston was previously part of the Southwest Conference. Between 1997 and 2000 East Carolina ('97), Army ('98), Alabama-Birmingham ('99), and Texas Christian ('00) joined the league. Army and TCU are the only current Conference USA teams to have won a national title. Army became the first independent to capture the title in 1914, and in 1938 TCU went 11-0 to claim the AP national title. TCU was led by quarterback Davey O'Brien, who set several passing records in being the first player to capture the Heisman, Maxwell and Walter Camp Trophies). Overtime was used in Division I for the first time. 1996 - Wuerffel, Gators Capture Title Led by All-American Danny Wuerffel and coach Steve Spurrier, the Florida Gators claimed their first national title. Wuerffel won the Heisman trophy and later played for Spurrier with the Washington Redskins. 1997 - 'Husking Another Title Nebraska won its third national title in four years and fifth overall by finishing the season 11-0. The Cornhuskers defeated Texas A&M 54-15 in the Big 12 title game, then beat Tennessee 42-17 in the Orange Bowl. 1998 - A Coaching Legend Steps Down College football lost a legend as Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson retired after winning an NCAA record 408 games and losing only 164 in 55 years. 1999 - Dayne Shatters Rushing Mark Ron Dayne, of the University of Wisconsin, broke Ricky Williams' all-time NCAA Division I-A rushing record. Dayne finished his senior campaign with a regular season total of 6,397 yards. Williams set the previous mark of 6,279 yards one year earlier. Including bowl games, Dayne became the first player in college to rush for more than 7,000 yards by finishing with 7,125. Dayne also tied the NCAA record held by Williams and Marcus Allen of Southern California with twelve 200-yard rushing performances. Katie Hnida [2001-Present] 2002 - First Division I-A Female Football Player New Mexico kicker Katie Hnida became the first woman to play in major college football. 2003 - Beating the Odds On September 18, San Jose State's Neil Parry, who suffered a severely broken leg, amputation, 25 operations, and 15 prosthetic legs following a game in 2000, returned to the field nearly three years later, becoming the first non-kicker to play Division I football with a prosthesis. 2003 - Upset Special In one of the most exciting games in college football history, the Ohio State Buckeyes prevailed over the heavily favored Miami Hurricanes 31-24 in double overtime. Supporting a lineup that consisted of quarterback Ken Dorsey, fellow Heisman finalist running back Willis McGahee, tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. and wide receiver Andre Johnson, the defending national champions were thought to have too much speed for an Ohio State team that, although perfect on the season, struggled against the likes of Purdue, Cincinnati, and Illinois. Despite trailing, 7-0, early and not picking up a first down until the final minutes of the first half, the Buckeyes defense kept Ohio State close throughout. Quarterback Craig Krenzel scored on a fourth down plunge to tie it at seven. After a touchdown and field goal, the Buckeyes found themselves ahead 17-7. Miami, however, tied the score and led 24-17 in the first overtime on a Winslow touchdown. Krenzel countered for Ohio State with a one-yard score. Then in the second overtime, freshman tailback Maurice Clarett scored the winning touchdown from five yards out as the Buckeyes defense stymied the 'Canes on their final possession. 2004 - Split National Championship Following the 2003 regular season, LSU and USC split the National Championship as the Tigers were voted No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, while the Trojans claimed the top spot in the Associated Press Poll. LSU finished the season 13-1, USC 12-1. It was the first time in six years two teams split for the national championship. The last teams to do so were Michigan and Nebraska in 1997. There have been four split National Champions since 1990.

          [1935-1945]

          1935 - Heisman Trophy Established

          • The Heisman Trophy was established and every year awarded to college football's top player. Jay Berwanger of Chicago was the first recipient of the award. Ohio State's Archie Griffin was the only player to win two Heisman awards (1974, 1975). In 1997, Charles Woodson, of Michigan, beat out favorite Peyton Manning, of Tennessee. Woodson became the first primarily defensive player to win the award.
            

          1936 - AP Decided National Champion

          • The Associated Press (AP) Poll began in 1936 and is still widely used to determine the national champion. Since 1936, the team with the most national championships is Notre Dame with nine. Alabama and Oklahoma are tied for second with seven.
            

          1937 - NCAA & Statistics

          • The NCAA began taking official statistics for the first time in football. The star of that season was Colorado's Byron "Whizzer" White. White led the nation in four categories: rushing, total offense, scoring, and kick scoring.
            

          1941 - Buckeye Heaven

          • Ohio State finished 9-1 to win a share of its first national title. In 1954, the Buckeyes claimed a share of their second national title, finishing 9-0 and beating Southern California 20-7 in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State claimed another share of the title in 1957.
            

          [1946-1956]

          1950 - Big Ten Victorious

          • Oklahoma won the MVIAA's (Big Ten) first national championship, despite losing to coach "Bear" Bryant and Kentucky in the Sugar Bowl.
            

          1953 - ACC Established

          • Founded on May 8, 1953, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) was formed from the Southern Conference. Representatives from Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest, meeting at Sedgefield Inn near Greensboro, North Carolina, agreed to withdraw from the Southern Conference and set up a new league to be known as the Atlantic Coast Conference.
            
            

            Chris Weinke

            Competition for the football crown began that fall. On Dec. 3 the University of Virginia joined the league. The league stayed stable until 1971 when South Carolina withdrew to become an independent. The Gamecocks would later join the Southeastern Conference.
            
            Maryland went 10-0 during the regular season and despite a 7-0 loss Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, won the national championship in the ACC's first season. At one time, the University of Maryland's nickname was the Farmers followed by the Old Liners before it settled on Terrapins.
            

          1955 - Welcome to the College Football Hall of Fame

          • The College Football Hall of Fame was established in 1955 in South Bend, Indiana.
            
            
            
          • Also in 1955, Clemson began an NCAA-record 29 straight wins over Virginia. The streak lasted until 1990 and is the record for wins against a major opponent in a nonconsecutive series.
            

          [1957-1967]

          1957 - Streak Ends

          • Notre Dame defeated Oklahoma 7-0 ending the Sooners' 47-game unbeaten streak. The feat started in 1953. It is still the longest Division I winning streak of all time.
            

          1961 - What's My Name?

          • The University of Maryland football team became the first team to have players' names on the backs of its jerseys. Under the tutelage of "Bear" Bryant, Alabama won its fourth national title, its first under Bryant. Three years later, the Tide were making waves again, this time with a star quarterback named Joe Namath. Namath, who would later guide the New York Jets to a Super Bowl victory, quarterbacked Alabama to a 10-0 regular-season record.
            

          1962 - Birth of the WAC

          • Several schools that made up the defunct Skyline 8 and Border Conferences got together in July 1962 to form the Western Athletic Conference. With members from nine states and four time zones, the conference became the largest and most geographically diverse in the NCAA.
            
            Charter members included the University of Arizona, Arizona State, Brigham Young, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Texas-El Paso and Colorado State were admitted in 1967 and began football in 1968. In 1978, Arizona and Arizona St. withdrew from the league to join the Pac-10. Later that year, San Diego State joined the conference. The University of Hawaii was admitted in 1979 and Air Force Academy united with the conference in 1980. Fresno St. became the 10th member of the conference in 1991 and began play in 1992. Effective in 1996, the WAC added six more schools: Tulsa, San Jose State, Nevada-Las Vegas, Rice, Southern Methodist and Texas Christian.
            
            With 16 teams in the conference, it was spilt up into two divisions, Mountain and Pacific. A playoff decided the league champion. The league split again in 1998. Eight members withdrew to form the Mountain West Conference. Those teams were Wyoming, Utah, UNLV, San Diego St., New Mexico, Colorado St., BYU, and Air Force. TCU left the following year to join Conference USA. Nevada, Louisiana Tech and Boise St. joined the WAC in 2000. The first consensus All-American from a WAC member after the formation of the conference was defensive end Mike Bell of Colorado State in 1978.
            

          1966 - Split Outcome

          • Michigan St. and Notre Dame played to a 10-10 tie in one of the greatest games ever played. The teams would split the national championship following the season.
            

          [1968-1978]

          1968 - Lasting Impression

          • Ohio State won the national title with a 9-0 record, defeating USC 27-16 in the Rose Bowl. The national championship was the last by a Big Ten school until Michigan claimed a share of the 1997 crown with Nebraska. Penn State, which joined the league in 1990, won national crowns in 1982 and 1986. Penn State was an Eastern independent at the time.
            

          1969 - 100 Year Anniversary

          • On December 6, number one Texas, winners of 18-straight, squared off against Arkansas, victorious in 15-concecutive games, in college football's 100th Anniversary game. With nearly the entire sports landscape watching the game, it received a 50-share in the television ratings, meaning half of the TV sets in America tuned into the game.
            
            Arkansas bolted to an early 14-0 lead before Texas, led by quarterback James Street, rallied in the fourth quarter. First, Street ran for a 42-yard score that was followed by a two-point conversion. Then, with just under four minutes remaining, James connected with Randy Perchel, who raced 44 yards for the game-winning score. President Richard Nixon, who had flown to the game via helicopter, presented Texas with a national championship trophy.
            

          1971 - Nebraska 35, Oklahoma 31

          • Fifty-five million Americans tuned in on Thanksgiving Day as number one Nebraska battled number two Oklahoma. Riding an offense that hadn't scored less than 30 points in a game all season and the nation's top defense, the Cornhuskers entered the game with a 29-game win streak. The Sooners countered with an offense that averaged 45 points per game.
            
            In a shootout, the Sooners led 31-28 with 7:05 remaining. Then, the Cornhuskers took over marching down the field on the legs of running backs Jeff Kinney and Johnny Rodgers. After getting the ball to the 15, Kinney carried four straight times, the final one producing the winning touchdown.
            

          [1979-1989]

          1980 - Freshman Sensation

          • Led by freshman sensation running back Herschel Walker, Georgia gave the SEC its third straight national championship. The Bulldogs finished with an 11-0 record and upended Notre Dame 17-0 in the Sugar Bowl. It would be the last national title for the SEC until 1992, when Alabama shocked Miami 34-13 in the Sugar Bowl.
            

          1982 - The Stanford Band

          • Ahead, 20-19, following a Mark Harmon field goal, Stanford looked to secure its first bowl game appearance under star quarterback John Elway. After Harmon's 35-yard field goal, Cardinal players went crazy, running onto the field and getting a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. What followed, however, was the most bizarre finish in college football history.
            
            California's Kevin Moen scooped up Harmon's squib kick, and as he was about to be tackled, tossed the ball to Richard Rogers. Rodgers then flipped it to Dwight Garner. Garner was immediately tackled, but before going down, pitched it back to Rogers. With the ball at midfield, Rogers lateraled it to Mariet Ford. Ford pitched it over to Moen, the initiator of the return, who weaved his way through Stanford defenders and, yes, Stanford band members, who where on the field because they thought the game was over.
            
            As Moen crossed the goal line he jumped in celebration, crushing a trombone player. After huddling for five minutes to sort out the mess that ensued, officials concluded that the Bears had indeed won the game, 25-20, and thus, prevented Elway from ever leading Stanford to a bowl game. Elway would later become the first pick in the 1983 NFL draft and a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Denver Broncos.
            

          1984 - Boston College's Hail Mary

          • On November 22, the day after Thanksgiving, Boston College and Miami squared off in one of the most exciting games in history. Trailing, 45-41, with seconds remaining, BC found itself 48 yards from the end zone. Eagles quarterback Doug Flutie, who had already attempted 45 passes in the game, scrambled to his right, narrowly averting a Miami defender, then let the ball fly from his own 37-yard line. Having figured Flutie couldn't throw the ball that far, the Miami secondary let receiver Gerald Phelan sneak behind them in the end zone.
            
            The ball came straight down over the mass of players and into Phelan's arms. Flutie's throw would travel nearly 65 yards in the air. Phelan would finish with 11 catches for 226 yards. Flutie, the 5-foot-8 lynchpin, completed 34 of 46 passes for 476 yards and three touchdowns. He later claimed the Heisman Trophy as BC finished the season 10-2 and won its first bowl game since 1941.
            
            After becoming the third Heisman Trophy winner to sign with the USFL, Flutie went on to the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots of the NFL. Not getting much of an opportunity because of his size, Flutie went to the Canadian Football League in 1990 where he was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player six times and won numerous Grey Cups. In 1998, Flutie returned to the NFL, winning a starting job with the Buffalo Bills and then the San Diego Chargers.
            
            Maryland quarterback Frank Reich engineered the greatest comeback in NCAA Division I-A history by leading the Terrapins to a 42-40 victory over the Miami Hurricanes. Years later, Reich led the Buffalo Bills to the greatest comeback in the NFL Playoffs against the Houston Oilers.
            
            Miami bolted to a 31-0 lead at intermission behind the play of quarterback Bernie Kosar, who passed for 240 yards and three touchdowns in the first half.
            
            To initiate the scoring for Maryland, Reich threw a 39-yard touchdown pass then, cut the deficit to 31-14 with a one-yard touchdown run. After scoring 21 points in the third quarter and adding a score early in the fourth, the Terrapins found themselves trailing 34-28.
            
            That was until Reich connected with Greg Hill for a 68-yard score to give Maryland the lead. Miami continued to falter as it fumbled the ensuing kick return, allowing the Terrapins to get the ball deep in Hurricane territory. Maryland took advantage, scoring a touchdown to cap a 42-3 run.
            

          1988 - Run Barry, Run

          • Oklahoma State junior and Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders set the all-time single-season rushing record by running for 2,628 yards, an average of 238.9 yards per game. He also scored 39 touchdowns, a record for one season. Sanders would go on and earn the NFC Rookie of the Year award in the NFL. Twice he was named NFL Player of the Year (1991, '97). In 1997, he rushed for 2,053 yards. Sanders is the number three all-time rusher with 15,269 yards. He abruptly retired prior to the 1999 season. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2004.
            
            Notre Dame won the national championship with, perhaps, the greatest collection of talent ever in college football. Twenty-one of Notre Dame's 22 starters played in the NFL. The lone exception was All-American quarterback Tony Rice. Notre Dame's defense had four first-team All-Americans: defensive end Frank Stams, tackle Chris Zorich and linebackers Mike Stonebreaker and Wes Pritchett. Not to be outdone, the offense had running back Ricky Watters, lineman Andy Heck, and Rice.
            

          [1990-2000]

          1991 - The Big East becomes a Football Power

          Kevin Jones

          • Known throughout the country as a powerful basketball conference, The Big East formed a football conference to accommodate member football powers Boston College, Miami (Fla.), Pittsburgh, and Syracuse. After Miami had been admitted to full league membership in 1990, a series of meetings in late 1990 and early 1991 led to football membership only for former independents Rutgers, Temple, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia. Conference competition began with the 1991 football season, and round-robin play began in 1993. In 1994, Rutgers and West Virginia accepted invitations for full conference status. In 1999, Virginia Tech accepted fulltime membership in the conference.
            
            Like the ACC, the Big East Conference won a national championship in its first season of football when Miami was crowned National Champion. It was Miami's fourth football national championship.
            

          1993 - Ward's Show

          • Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward became the first ACC player to win the Heisman Trophy. Ward, also a point guard on the FSU basketball team, never played in the NFL, but was drafted in the first round of the NBA draft by the New York Knicks. Ward went on to have a solid pro basketball career.
            

          1994 - Washington Ended Miami's Unbeaten Streak

          • The University of Washington ended the University of Miami's 58-game home winning streak. The Huskies defeated the Hurricanes 38-20. Miami's streak began with a 30-0 victory over Cincinnati in 1985.
            

          1995 - Conference USA Formed

          • Conference USA was formed with six football playing members. Five of the charter members (Tulane, Memphis, Cincinnati, Southern Mississippi, Louisville) were independents prior to joining the new league. The University of Houston was previously part of the Southwest Conference.
            
            Between 1997 and 2000 East Carolina ('97), Army ('98), Alabama-Birmingham ('99), and Texas Christian ('00) joined the league. Army and TCU are the only current Conference USA teams to have won a national title. Army became the first independent to capture the title in 1914, and in 1938 TCU went 11-0 to claim the AP national title. TCU was led by quarterback Davey O'Brien, who set several passing records in being the first player to capture the Heisman, Maxwell and Walter Camp Trophies). Overtime was used in Division I for the first time.
            

          1996 - Wuerffel, Gators Capture Title

          • Led by All-American Danny Wuerffel and coach Steve Spurrier, the Florida Gators claimed their first national title. Wuerffel won the Heisman trophy and later played for Spurrier with the Washington Redskins.
            

          1997 - 'Husking Another Title

          • Nebraska won its third national title in four years and fifth overall by finishing the season 11-0. The Cornhuskers defeated Texas A&M 54-15 in the Big 12 title game, then beat Tennessee 42-17 in the Orange Bowl.
            
            
            

          1998 - A Coaching Legend Steps Down

          • College football lost a legend as Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson retired after winning an NCAA record 408 games and losing only 164 in 55 years.
            

          1999 - Dayne Shatters Rushing Mark

          • Ron Dayne, of the University of Wisconsin, broke Ricky Williams' all-time NCAA Division I-A rushing record. Dayne finished his senior campaign with a regular season total of 6,397 yards. Williams set the previous mark of 6,279 yards one year earlier. Including bowl games, Dayne became the first player in college to rush for more than 7,000 yards by finishing with 7,125. Dayne also tied the NCAA record held by Williams and Marcus Allen of Southern California with twelve 200-yard rushing performances.
            

          Katie Hnida

          [2001-Present]

          2002 - First Division I-A Female Football Player

          • New Mexico kicker Katie Hnida became the first woman to play in major college football.
            

          2003 - Beating the Odds

          • On September 18, San Jose State's Neil Parry, who suffered a severely broken leg, amputation, 25 operations, and 15 prosthetic legs following a game in 2000, returned to the field nearly three years later, becoming the first non-kicker to play Division I football with a prosthesis.
            

          2003 - Upset Special

          • In one of the most exciting games in college football history, the Ohio State Buckeyes prevailed over the heavily favored Miami Hurricanes 31-24 in double overtime.
            
            Supporting a lineup that consisted of quarterback Ken Dorsey, fellow Heisman finalist running back Willis McGahee, tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. and wide receiver Andre Johnson, the defending national champions were thought to have too much speed for an Ohio State team that, although perfect on the season, struggled against the likes of Purdue, Cincinnati, and Illinois.
            
            Despite trailing, 7-0, early and not picking up a first down until the final minutes of the first half, the Buckeyes defense kept Ohio State close throughout. Quarterback Craig Krenzel scored on a fourth down plunge to tie it at seven. After a touchdown and field goal, the Buckeyes found themselves ahead 17-7.
            
            Miami, however, tied the score and led 24-17 in the first overtime on a Winslow touchdown. Krenzel countered for Ohio State with a one-yard score. Then in the second overtime, freshman tailback Maurice Clarett scored the winning touchdown from five yards out as the Buckeyes defense stymied the 'Canes on their final possession.
            

          2004 - Split National Championship

          • Following the 2003 regular season, LSU and USC split the National Championship as the Tigers were voted No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, while the Trojans claimed the top spot in the Associated Press Poll. LSU finished the season 13-1, USC 12-1. It was the first time in six years two teams split for the national championship. The last teams to do so were Michigan and Nebraska in 1997. There have been four split National Champions since 1990.