Intercollegiate Football Association

The Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) was an American athletic organization founded in 1873 by representatives from Princeton, Yale, and Rutgers. Initially, the IFA adopted rules adapted from soccer, with the first intercollegiate game played in 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton. Harvard University, however, preferred a game that blended soccer and rugby, known as the "Boston Game".12

In 1876, a new IFA was formed by Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia, adopting rules based on rugby. This association began staging an annual championship game on Thanksgiving Day, which grew into a significant spectator event, attracting thousands of attendees and extensive newspaper coverage. College football, with its associated traditions like bands and cheerleaders, evolved into a popular spectator sport with a nationwide audience.23