1903 college football season

American college football season August 2023 1903 File:Crimson vs. Big Green football game 1903-11-14.JPG The Harvard-Dartmouth game 320px MichiganPrinceton Not awarded until 1935 The 1903 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book listing Michigan and Princeton as having been selected national champions.Official 2009 NCAA Division I Football Records Book https://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2009/2009_fb_records_book.pdf The National Collegiate Athletic Association August 2009 70 October 16, 2009 The season took place during an era when college football was rapidly growing in popularity, with new concrete stadiums and large crowds, but also widespread concern over injuries and the violent style of play. Background By 1903, college football had evolved from its late nineteenth-century rugby roots into a distinct gridiron game. Rule changes led by Walter Camp in the 1880s had reduced teams to eleven players per side, created the line of scrimmage, and introduced a system of downs that required the offense to gain yardage to retain possession.Ours Robert M. Introduction: A Brief History of College Football https://www.collegefootballpoll.com/news/introduction-a-brief-history-of-college-football/ CollegeFootballPoll.com 11 October 2019 24 November 2025 Scoring values were also different from the modern game. A touchdown was worth five points, as was a field goal, while the safety was worth two points. The early 1900s saw rapid growth in the sport’s popularity, with around 250 colleges fielding teams and new, larger stadiums being built. In 1903, for example, Harvard opened a concrete football stadium with a capacity of roughly 42,000 spectators, reflecting the sport’s status as a major collegiate attraction. Season overview The 1903 college football season had no clear-cut national champion. The Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book lists both Michigan and Princeton as national champions for the season, based on selections by various contemporary and retrospective selectors.August 2009 Official 2009 NCAA Division I Football Records Book https://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2009/2009_fb_records_book.pdf 24 November 2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association 70 The season took place during a period when college football was drawing large crowds but also facing increasing criticism over the violence of play. Historians note that rules changes from the 1890s had only briefly reduced injuries and fatalities, and concern over brutality in the early 1900s would soon help lead to sweeping reforms and the creation of what became the NCAA. Conference standings Major conference standings Independents Minor conferences ConferenceChampion(s)Record Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association AlbionMichigan Agricultural 4–1 Ohio Athletic Conference Case 5–0 Minor conference standings Awards and honors All-Americans 1903 College Football All-America Team The consensus All-America team included:Football Award Winners https://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/Awards.pdf 24 November 2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association PositionNameHeightWeight (lbs.)ClassHometownTeamQBJimmy Johnson5'7"138Sr.Edgerton, WisconsinCarlisle QBMyron E. WithamSr.Pigeon Cove, MassachusettsDartmouth HBWillie Heston5'8"190Jr.Grant's Pass, OregonMichigan HBDana KaferSr.Lawrenceville, New JerseyPrincetonFBRichard Shore SmithSr.ColumbiaFBLedyard MitchellSr.YaleEHoward HenrySr.Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPrinceton TDaniel KnowltonSo.Harvard TJames Hogan5'10"210Jr.County Tipperary, IrelandYale GJohn DeWitt6'1"198Sr.Phillipsburg, New Jersey PrincetonGAndrew MarshallSr.Phillipsburg, New Jersey HarvardCHenry HooperSr.New HampshireDartmouthGJames BloomerJr.Cincinnati, OhioYaleTFred SchachtSr.Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinnesota ECharles D. RaffertySr.Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaYale References