#14: The First College Football Uniforms

We take football uniforms for granted these days. We can all instantly identify our favorite team based on their colors. Plus, thanks to their jersey number, we can always spot our favorite player out of a crowd. But uniforms and player numbers weren’t always a thing. The first recorded instance of college footballers wearing uniforms was in 1879. 

The game between Yale and Princeton on November 27, 1879, was the first time college football teams wore official uniforms. Before this monumental game, we’re assuming players just wore their regular athletic gear. Here’s the wild part, though. Players didn’t start wearing helmets on the regular until it was mandated by the NCAA in 1939. Yikes!