The Origins of NCAA Sports

College Sport Historical Facts

Baseball The NCAA College World Series is held each year in Omaha, Nebraska which has been the permanent home of the championship since 1950.  

The baseball championship competition is held between 8 regions. 6 teams from each region play off in a double elimination competition, with the winning school advancing to the College World Series.

Basketball The 1st intercollegiate basketball game was played on February 9, 1895, between Hamline College and the Minnesota School of Agriculture with Minnesota taking the game out nine to three. Basketball slowly developed over time and on Jan. 18, 1896, the 1st college basketball game was played with the with the five man format in Iowa City, Iowa. During the game, the University of Chicago defeated the University of Iowa by fifteen to twelve.

Equestrian A Varsity Equestrian Championship is held every year among universities and colleges  that compete at the varsity level. Because equestrian has 2 unique disciplines, this event has a  national champion in each of 3 areas; Overall, Western and English.

Football  The birth of football in the United States goes back to Nov. 6, 1869, when teams from Princeton and Rutgers universities met in New Brunswick, New York, for the 1st intercollegiate football game. In the early games, each team was allowed twenty five players. By 1873 this number had been reduced to twenty, in 1876 it was reduced again to fifteen, and in 1880 to the present day number of eleven.