Piscataway in Middlesex County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
First College Football Game
college football ever played
Rutgers and Princeton
Met on the Rutgers Campus
November 6, 1869
Rutgers 6 Princeton 4
Erected by Rutgers Class of 1949.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is November 6, 1869.
Location. 40° 30.877′ N, 74° 27.831′ W. Marker is in Piscataway, New Jersey, in Middlesex County. It can be reached from the intersection of Sutphen Road and Scarlet Knight Way. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Scarlet Knight Way, Piscataway NJ 08854, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New Jersey’s Central Jersey, in Greater Princeton, and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Raritan Landing (approx. Ό mile away); The Historic Community of Raritan Landing (approx. Ό mile away); Landing Lane Bridge - 1895 (approx. 0.4 miles away); Buccleuch (approx. 0.6 miles away); Buccleuch Mansion (approx. 0.7 miles away); George Street Tunnel Stones (approx. 0.7 miles away); New Brunswick Sailors (approx. 0.9 miles away); Cuban Howitzer (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Piscataway.
More about this marker. The actual game took place across the Raritan River in New Brunswick. This monument is located next to SHI Stadium at Rutgers University.
Regarding First College Football Game. The game was a mix of Soccer and Rugby. Except for the physical tackling allowed, it didn't resemble the current game of football. The Rutgers team wore scarlet head coverings to tell the two teams apart. Thus, the nickname Scarlet Knights. The Princeton team was chased off campus after the game and headed back to Princeton.
Also see . . .
1. 1869 New Jersey vs. Rutgers football game (Wikipedia). (Submitted on January 30, 2021, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. America's First Ever Organized Football Game.
America's first official football game ever played was on November 6, 1869, between Rutgers and Princeton, two college teams in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Rutgers University and its neighbor, New Jersey (later known as Princeton) played the game of intercollegiate football on a plot of ground where the present-day Rutgers gymnasium now stands in New Brunswick, N.J. It is considered the birthplace of football.(Submitted on August 27, 2022, by HistoricTownsOfAmerica.com - Guy Saladino of Long Beach, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 27, 2021, by David Weintraub of Edison, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,174 times since then and 69 times this year. Last updated on January 30, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 27, 2021, by David Weintraub of Edison, New Jersey. 4. submitted on August 27, 2022, by HistoricTownsOfAmerica.com - Guy Saladino of Long Beach, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.



