College Football in Turmoil: How Violence, Virility and Social Darwinism Defined College Football, 1880-1915
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This study investigates the influence of the reform movement within the United States on college football between 1880 and 1915. In response to industrialization and urbanization, reform advocates used sports and athletics to develop America’s youth. Concern mounted from critics that young boys were too physically weak and mentally soft. It was during this period that college football rose in prominence because proponents argued it offered an opportunity for physical and mental fitness. Critics countered on grounds it was too violent, and they went so far as to recommend abolishing the sport. Since the first collegiate game between Princeton and Rutgers, football players have died either directly or indirectly from football-related injuries. The game’s rules and regulations promoted physical play while doing little to protect players. As a result, by 1880 proponents debated measures that ensured the game’s longevity. A result of their debates was the creation of the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA). The IFA’s clout rested with its member institutions: Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Columbia. The IFA’s challenge from its inception was to establish consistency in officiating and development of new rules. Through the work of the IFA, such advocates as President Theodore Roosevelt and Walter C. Camp directly influenced play on the field. Both Roosevelt and Camp defended football’s physicality as a virtue. This study examines the influence of the reform movement on college football as it was used by proponents to preserve the game’s violence. It informs about the practical use of football as a means to develop youth as well as how cultural and scientific theories aided in preserving college football’s violence.