1869–70 college soccer season

1869–70 college soccer season
Number of teams	6
Statistics
Biggest home win	8 goals: Princeton 8–0 Rutgers (November 13, 1869)
Highest scoring	10 goals: Rutgers 6–4 Princeton (November 6, 1869)
Seasons
← 1868–69 1870–71 →

The 1869–70 college soccer season was the fourth season of intercollegiate soccer in the United States. While played using improvised rules resembling American football and rugby, it is also considered one of the first ever college soccer seasons. The 1869 season consisted of only two total games, both of which occurred between Rutgers University and Princeton University; The first was played on November 6 at Rutgers' campus, and the second was played on November 13 at Princeton's campus. The games are also considered the first ever college football games.

Matches played

There were only two matches played between two different universities during the season, both between teams from Rutgers College (now Rutgers University) and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).^[1][2] Rutgers won the game by a score of 6–4.^[3]

In addition to being considered one of the earlier soccer games reported in the United States, these two games are considered to be the first organized American college football games to ever be played.^[4][5]

During the season there were other scheduled soccer matches scheduled that ended up being cancelled. A soccer game between the Virginia Military Institute and Washington & Lee University was scheduled for October 23, 1869, but the match was cancelled due to rain. There were intracollegiate matches played between student bodies at the University of Michigan, Brown University, and the College of New Jersey (now known as Princeton University).^[6]

Conference table

The first game

(Left): "The Foot-Ball Match", Chronicle of the first game at The Targum, Nov 1869;
(right): plaque on College Avenue on the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University identifying the place where the game was played

1869–70 college soccer records

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Princeton ‡			–					1	–	1	–	0
Rutgers			–					1	–	1	–	0
Brown			–					1	–	1	–	0
Michigan			–					1	–	1	–	0
VMI			–					0	–	0	–	0
Washington & Lee			–					0	–	0	–	0
‡ National champion (ASHA)

See also

• The First Game
• 1860s in American soccer
• 1869 college football season
• 1869 New Jersey vs. Rutgers football game

References

1. "Home". historyoffootball.net.
2. "1800s". Rutgers Through The Years. Rutgers University. Archived from the original on January 20, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2007.
3. DeLassus, David. "Princeton Yearly Results (1869)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 13, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
4. Carzo, Rocco J. "Jumbo Footprints: A History of Tufts Athletics", Medford, MA: Tufts University Gallery, 2005; summarized in Another 'Pass' At History Archived 2016-11-12 at the Wayback Machine by Tufts University eNews on 27 September 2004. Accessed 2 January 2012.
5. Citing Research, Tufts Claims Football History is on its Side Archived 2013-05-26 at the Wayback Machine Boston Globe Article, 23 September 2004, Accessed 1 January 2012.
6. Smith, Melvin I. (November 6, 2008). Evolvements of Early American Foot Ball: Through the 1890/91 Season. Bloomington, Indiana: Smith Publishing. pp. 53–54. ISBN 9781434362469.

External links

• Record of 2 games played