Factoid 224 - The 1871 College Football season.

The picture of a zero accompanying this Factoid is very telling of the year 1871: ZERO college football games were played. It is the only season since the start of organized college football when there were no games played.

This was more than likely due to the inability to schedule games for this novelty sport. For one reason or another three existing teams – Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers - could not come together and play football. 1881 would be vastly different.

National Champions

• Zero, no games were even played.

• The Civil War was still fresh in everyone’s memory, having ended in 1865.
• The German Empire was founded, with the King of Prussia becoming the First German Emperor: Wilhelm I of Germany.
• The National Rifle Association was granted a charter by the State of New York.