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Major Rule Changes
Wedge formations had been banned, but teams came up with plays which guards and tackles lined up in the backfield. It was basically a physical free-for-all and players would suffer bloodied heads and broken limbs. Some players even ended up losing their lives and football was almost abolished. -
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Intercollegiate Football Spectacle
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Conferences
To obtain greater order in intercollegiate sports many of the colleges turned to regional associations or conferences. Beginning in 1895 with the organization of the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives and later known as the Big Ten. The conference pioneered in the establishment of rules of eligibility, prohibition of subsidies to student athletes, and faculty supervison of athletes. -
IAA
Due to deaths in football 62 colleges from all across the country met in New York and organized the Intercollegiate Athletic Association, later changed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. To make the game safer a first down was changed to 10 yards and approved the forward pass. -
Drastic Rule Changes
The 1909 season was as brutal as ever reporting 30 deaths so the IAA took drastic actions. They abolished interlocking interference and required that there be seven men on the line of scrimmage. Also, they gave the offense four downs to get a first down instead of three and a touchdown was changed from 5 to 6 points. -
The Reign of King Football
The reign of football as the king of American sporting spectacles began in the 1920s and was often called the golden age of American sports. During the 1920s attendence at college games doubled and only one field could seat 70,000, but by 1930 seven fields could. Coaches also played a big role in the reign of King Football. It was believed that coaches played an important role in determining the outcome in the game. An example of a great coach is Knute Rockne. -
Reform in College Football
College presidents tried to reform their football programs by eliminating athletic scholarships and disallowing special treatment of athletes on campus. Also, curtailing the recruitment of students solely on the basis of their athletic talents and reducing the power of booster organizations.
