1896 college football season

American college football season August 2023 1896 LafayettePennFootballOct23.1896.jpg Lafayette on defense in its 6–4 upset victory over Pennsylvania 30 September 12 to December 19 LafayettePrinceton Not awarded until 1935 The 1896 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book listing Lafayette and Princeton as having been selected national champions.http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2009/2009FBS.pdf Official 2009 NCAA Division I Football Records Book 70 The National Collegiate Athletic Association August 2009 Indianapolis, IN 2009-10-16 Lafayette finished with an 11–0–1 record while Princeton had a 10–0–1 record. In the second game of the season for both teams, Lafayette and Princeton played to a scoreless tie. Both teams had signature wins: Lafayette defeated Penn 6–4, giving the Quakers their only loss of the season, while Princeton defeated previously unbeaten Yale, 24–6, on Thanksgiving Day in the last game of the season. Princeton was retroactively named the 1896 national champions by the Billingsley Report, the Helms Athletic Foundation, the Houlgate System, and Lafayette and Princeton were named national co-champions by the National Championship Foundation and Parke Davis. Conference and program changes Conference changes The Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives, commonly known as the Western Conference and the precursor to the modern Big Ten Conference, began its first season of play in 1896 with seven founding members from across the Midwest. Membership changes School 1895 Conference 1896 Conference Central Michigan Normal NormalitesProgram establishedIndependent Chicago Maroons Independent Western Conference Clemson Tigers Program established SIAACumberland BulldogsIndependent SIAA Illinois Illini Independent Western Conference Indiana State Sycamores Program Established Independent Kansas State Agricultural AggiesProgram establishedIndependent Kentucky State WildcatsIndependent SIAA Louisiana State TigersIndependent SIAA Mercer BaptistsIndependent SIAA Michigan Wolverines Independent Western Conference Minnesota Golden Gophers Independent Western Conference Mississippi RebelsIndependent SIAA Mississippi A&M AggiesIndependent SIAANashville ? Independent SIAA Nevada State SagebrushersProgram establishedIndependent Northwestern Wildcats Independent Western Conference Purdue Boilermakers Independent Western Conference Southwestern Presbyterian Lynx Independent SIAA Storrs Agricultural AggiesProgram establishedIndependent Texas LonghornsIndependent SIAA Texas Christian Horned FrogsProgram establishedIndependent Tennessee VolunteersIndependent SIAA Territorial Normal NormalsProgram establishedIndependent Wisconsin Badgers Independent Western Conference Conference standings Major conference standings Independents Minor conferences ConferenceChampion(s)Record Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Michigan State Normal 2–0 See also 1896 College Football All-America Team References