The first college football game was played in 1869, when students from Princeton and Rutgers faced off in New Jersey.
Today, the plot of grass they played that game on has since been replaced by a gymnasium. Still, some of the sports' oldest venues live on. There are several college football stadiums across the country that are 100 or more years old.
GAME DAY: Locations, all-time appearances, most times hosting for the ESPN show
These stadiums have undergone renovations, expansions and clean-ups — some major and some minor — since they first opened their doors, but each of them holds a special place in the sport's history.
On the embedded Google Map below, you can find out where each stadium is located and fun facts about these old gridirons.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: These are the 5 longest active FBS home winning streaks
Franklin Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — 1895
Franklin Field has been a host for baseball, the opera, military training, soccer and a U2 concert, but it’s a football venue, first and foremost. It is the oldest college football stadium in the U.S., the site of the first game to be broadcast on radio in 1922. In addition to hosting countless Penn Quakers games, it was the site of 18 Army-Navy games.
Harvard Stadium (Boston, Massachusetts) — 1903
Initially a gift from Harvard’s 1879 class, the stadium hosted its first football game on Nov. 14, 1903 against Dartmouth. Since then, rugby, lacrosse, soccer and ice hockey have been played in the stadium. It was the home of the New England Patriots — then the Boston Patriots of the AFL — for two seasons in 1970 and 1971.
PACKED HOUSE: College football's 25 largest stadiums
Kyle Field (College Station, Texas) — 1904
Edwin Jackson Kyle, a professor at Texas A&M and a graduate of the university, wanted an athletic field on campus. But Texas A&M didn’t have the funds for it at the time, so Kyle donated a plot of land on the southern edge of campus that was set aside for his horticultural experiments. He then bought and built bleachers with his own money, creating the beginnings of what is known today as Kyle Field. In 1919, Texas A&M claimed the national championship after not allowing any of its 10 opponents to score a single point. Permanent concrete structures and seating were added to Kyle Field in 1927.
Kyle Field. Wow. pic.twitter.com/VHUU0toXRt
— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) October 6, 2018
Fitton Field (Worcester, Massachusetts) — 1908
The first football game played at Holy Cross took place in 1903, but Fitton Field wasn’t unveiled until Sept. 26, 1908. In 1986, its wooden stands were removed and replaces with aluminum ones. From 1935 through 1938, Holy Cross did not lose a game at home. In 2006, the movie “Game Plan” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson filmed there.
Bobby Dodd Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia) — 1913
Because Kyle Field was more of a field and not a concrete stadium until 1927, Bobby Dodd Stadium is technically the oldest in FBS. Originally known as Grant Field until 1988 — when the school renamed it for the legendary coach — the west stands of the stadium were built by students in 1913. It originally sat just 5,600 fans, a fraction of today’s capacity of 55,000. In addition to Georgia Tech football, Bobby Dodd has hosted bowl games and professional soccer. When it hosted Atlanta United FC games in 2017, it broke attendance records for Major League Soccer.
"This is not a goodbye, my darling, this is a thank you"
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) August 2, 2017
Take a look back at @ATLUTD's amazing time at Bobby Dodd Stadium #UniteAndConquer pic.twitter.com/JQDdo16BYN
Davis Wade Stadium (Starkville, Mississippi) — 1914
Originally named Scott Field in honor of Olympic sprinter Don Magruder Scott, the home of the Bulldogs became Davis Wade Stadium in 2001 after he made a large donation toward the stadium’s expansion. The team’s first mascot, Bully I, was buried under the bench at the 50-yard-line in 1939.
HISTORY: College football's notable firsts and milestones
Yale Bowl (New Haven, Connecticut) — 1914
An estimated crowd of more than 70,000 people came to watch the first game at the Yale Bowl, including Presidents William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt, but if they were Bulldogs fans, they left disappointed. Harvard won handily, 36-0. Yale fans left the stadium much happier on Oct. 5, 1929, when Yale beat Vermont 89-0. In 1973 and 1974, the New York Giants played their home games at the Yale Bowl.
Game Day at The Yale Bowl! Dominate the Day #YaleFootball pic.twitter.com/DW8JaSsgk4
— Yale Football (@yalefootball) November 7, 2015
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Oxford, Mississippi) — 1915
Named for Judge William Hemingway, a professor and chairman of athletics at the school, and John Howard Vaught, who won 190 games and three national titles at Ole Miss, the stadium has been in the same site since 1915, when grandstands were built. A permanent foundation was built in 1939 and capacity increased to 24,000 by 1941. In 2016, 66,176 fans turned out to see Ole Miss take on Alabama.
Nippert Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio) — 1915
Cincinnati began playing football at the site in 1901, but construction on Nippert Stadium didn’t begin until 1915 and wasn’t fully completed until 1924. The stadium is named after Jimmy Nippert, who died after an injury suffered in a 1923 game against Miami (Ohio). His grandfather provided funds needed to complete the stadium’s construction. Two U.S. Presidents — Franklin Roosevelt and Barack Obama — have spoken at Nippert.
🗣 TOP 5 🗣@reviewtrackers ranks Nippert Stadium as the fifth loudest college football stadium...IN THE NATION!#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/eJEZeJKapK
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) June 4, 2018
Camp Randall Stadium (Madison, Wisconsin) — 1917
Built on land that was originally used to train Wisconsin troops during the Civil War, Camp Randall Stadium hosted its first game on Nov. 3, 1917, which saw the Badgers beat Minnesota 10-7. In 2004, the stadium saw an average attendance per-game of 82,368 fans.
Mitchell Northam is a graduate of Salisbury University. His work has been featured at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Orlando Sentinel, SB Nation, FanSided, USA Today and the Delmarva Daily Times. He grew up on Maryland's Eastern Shore and is now based in Durham, N.C.
COVID-19 UPDATES: Schedule tracker | Game times, TV info | Bowl schedule
RANKINGS: AP Top 25 Poll | USA Today Coaches | CFP top 25| Every poll, explained
