105-567: Bernard W. Bierman (March 11, 1894 – March 7, 1977) was an American college football coach best known for his years as head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football program. Between 1934 and 1941, his Minnesota teams won five national championships ( 1934 , 1935 , 1936 , 1940 , and 1941 ) and seven Big Ten championships ( 1933 , 1934, 1935, 1937 , 1938 , 1940, and 1941) and had four perfect seasons (1934, 1935, 1940, 1941). Bierman's five national championships rank him among
210-552: A 0–0 tie. The Army–Navy game of 1893 saw the first documented use of a football helmet by a player in a game. Joseph M. Reeves had a crude leather helmet made by a shoemaker in Annapolis and wore it in the game after being warned by his doctor that he risked death if he continued to play football after suffering an earlier kick to the head. In 1879, the University of Michigan became the first school west of Pennsylvania to establish
315-502: A 1–7–1 record. In 16 years as Minnesota's head football coach, he compiled a 93-35-6 record. He was known for his quiet approach, a coach who "did not believe in whipping his players into an emotional state" before they took the field. His teams ran a single-wing formation behind an unbalanced line, emphasizing a conservative running game with little use of the forward pass. Bierman was an aloof, intense head coach, whose practices were long and difficult, during which Bierman would talk to
420-513: A 35-acre (14 ha) lake. The Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children was built in 1886. The school took in orphans from around the state and taught them "the value of drill, discipline, and labor." The children who died in the institution were interred in the Children's Cemetery behind the school. In 1945, the orphanage closed and in 1947 the State Public School
525-456: A 56-game undefeated streak that included a 1902 trip to play in the first college football bowl game , which later became the Rose Bowl Game . During this streak, Michigan scored 2,831 points while allowing only 40. Organized intercollegiate football was first played in the state of Minnesota on September 30, 1882, when Hamline was convinced to play Minnesota . Minnesota won 2 to 0. It
630-402: A 5–3 season in 1932, Bierman led Minnesota on a nine-year run from 1933 to 1941 during which they five won national championships ( 1934 , 1935 , 1936 , 1940 , and 1941 ) and seven Big Ten championships ( 1933 , 1934, 1935, 1937 , 1938 , 1940, and 1941) and four perfect seasons (1934, 1935, 1940, 1941). Bierman cited the 1934 victory over Pittsburgh as the "high spot" of the season in which
735-684: A 7–3 record and the No. 2 ranking in the AP's Service Poll. In May 1943, the Navy announced that Bierman had been assigned to sea duty and would not be available to coach Iowa Pre-Flight in 1943. His order to report for sea duty was remanded, and he spent the summer and early fall of 1943 at Marine Corps base in San Diego . In March 1944, he was appointed as the athletic director at the Pensacola Naval Air Station . He
840-541: A Republican. District 24 includes portions of Steele, Rice and Waseca and Dodge counties in the southeastern part of the state. Owatonna is in House District 24A, represented by State Representative John Petersburg , a Republican, since 2012. Owatonna is in Minnesota's 1st congressional district , represented by Brad Finstad , a Republican. Public education is provided by Independent School District No. 761 In Owatonna
945-472: A boy. Bierman enrolled at the University of Minnesota in the fall of 1912. He played for the freshman football team in 1912 and for the varsity team in 1913, though a charley horse sidelined him early in the season. He became a starter in 1914, and as a senior, he was captain of the undefeated 1915 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team . He won a total of seven varsity letters at Minnesota, three in football, three in track, and one in basketball. Bierman
1050-494: A career record of 153–65–12 as a head football coach and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955. Bierman was also the head basketball coach at Montana (1919–1922), Mississippi A&M (1925–1927), and Tulane (1928–1930), tallying a career college basketball coaching mark of 89–51. Bierman was born in 1894 to German immigrants on a farm near Springfield, Minnesota . His family moved to Oklahoma when he
1155-503: A college football team. On May 30, 1879, Michigan beat Racine College 1–0 in a game played in Chicago. The Chicago Daily Tribune called it "the first rugby-football game to be played west of the Alleghenies ." Other Midwestern schools soon followed suit, including the University of Chicago , Northwestern University , and the University of Minnesota . The first western team to travel east
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#17328874834261260-447: A great deal to Harvard's rugby. They decided to play with 15 players on each team. On November 13, 1875, Yale and Harvard played each other for the first time ever, where Harvard won 4–0. At the first The Game (as the annual contest between Harvard and Yale came to be named) the future "father of American football" Walter Camp was among the 2000 spectators in attendance. Walter, a native of New Britain, Connecticut , would enroll at Yale
1365-445: A household in the city was $ 45,660, and the median income for a family was $ 54,883. Males had a median income of $ 37,691 versus $ 25,511 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 20,513. About 4.3% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 7.9% of those under 18 and 6.9% of those 65 or over. Owatonna is an economic center of Southern Minnesota, with diverse industries. Federated Insurance
1470-536: A liking to the rugby game, and its use of the try which, until that time, was not used in American football. The try would later evolve into the score known as the touchdown . On June 4, 1875, Harvard faced Tufts University in the first game between two American colleges played under rules similar to the McGill/Harvard contest, which was won by Tufts 1–0. The rules included each side fielding 11 men at any given time,
1575-545: A municipal bond trader for Wells Dickey. He also coached the football team at Pillsbury Academy in Owatonna, Minnesota . Bierman later recalled that he "couldn't shake my natural love" for football, and in the summer of 1923, he accepted an offer to become a part-time assistant coach at Tulane University under his Minnesota teammate Clark Shaughnessy . He was an assistant coach for the football, basketball, and track teams at Tulane in 1923 and 1924. He continued to work part-time in
1680-487: A new code of rules based on the rugby game first introduced to Harvard by McGill University in 1874. Three of the schools—Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton—formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, as a result of the meeting. Yale initially refused to join this association because of a disagreement over the number of players to be allowed per team (relenting in 1879) and Rutgers were not invited to
1785-472: A perfect 9–0 record; the 1930 team was undefeated in conference games but lost to Big Ten champion Northwestern . In his final year at Tulane, Bierman led the 1931 team to an 11–0 record in the regular season and a No. 2 ranking in the final Dickinson System ratings. The 1931 team won a berth in the 1932 Rose Bowl , losing to No. 1 USC by a 21–12 score. In January 1932, Bierman was hired to replace Fritz Crisler as Minnesota's head football coach. After
1890-499: A player to pick up the ball and run with it whenever he wished. Another rule, unique to McGill, was to count tries (the act of grounding the football past the opposing team's goal line; there was no end zone during this time), as well as goals, in the scoring. In the Rugby rules of the time, a try only provided the attempt to kick a free goal from the field. If the kick was missed, the try did not score any points itself. Harvard quickly took
1995-462: A professional roster spot as an undrafted free agent . Despite these opportunities, only around 1.6% of NCAA college football players end up playing professionally in the NFL. Even after the emergence of the professional National Football League (NFL), college football has remained extremely popular throughout the U.S. Although the college game has a much larger margin for talent than its pro counterpart,
2100-408: A result, the school district received $ 77.9 million to repair all buildings, replace out-of-date equipment, update security in all seven public school buildings, switch the use for two school buildings, and reconfigure grades from K-5, 6, 7-8, 9-12 to K-5, 6-8, 9-12. All facility changes and projects were completed by September 2018. On November 5, 2019, Owatonna voters approved a referendum, allowing
2205-504: A rougher version of football called "the Boston Game" in which the kicking of a round ball was the most prominent feature though a player could run with the ball, pass it, or dribble it (known as "babying"). The man with the ball could be tackled, although hitting, tripping, "hacking" and other unnecessary roughness was prohibited. There was no limit to the number of players, but there were typically ten to fifteen per side. A player could carry
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#17328874834262310-524: A round ball instead of a rugby-style oblong ball. This series of games represents an important milestone in the development of the modern game of American football. In October 1874, the Harvard team once again traveled to Montreal to play McGill in rugby, where they won by three tries. In as much as Rugby football had been transplanted to Canada from England, the McGill team played under a set of rules which allowed
2415-608: A senior activity center, the Owatonna Arts Center, two nonprofit daycare centers, a chemical dependency halfway house, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters, among others. In July 2008, a Raytheon Hawker 800 corporate jet crashed near Owatonna, resulting in eight deaths. On November 3, 2015, the Owatonna Public School District passed a bond referendum to fund school facilities improvements focusing on deferred maintenance, safety, and Elementary school crowding. As
2520-591: A similar name and logo, this team is unrelated to the former Southern Minnesota Express , which relocated to Michigan to become the Motor City Machine . The Express began play in the 2008-2009 season, and completed its final season in March 2011. Owatonna is governed by a mayor and city council. City Council of Owatonna, MN City council The city is in Minnesota's 24th Senate District, represented by John Jasinski ,
2625-537: A team be required to advance the ball a minimum of five yards within three downs. These down-and-distance rules, combined with the establishment of the line of scrimmage, transformed the game from a variation of rugby football into the distinct sport of American football. Camp was central to several more significant rule changes that came to define American football. In 1881, the field was reduced in size to its modern dimensions of 120 by 53 1 ⁄ 3 yards (109.7 by 48.8 meters). Several times in 1883, Camp tinkered with
2730-725: A total of 300 to six and was recognized as the Montana state champion. When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Bierman enrolled in the United States Marine Corps . He served in the Marines from May 1917 until April 1919. He was promoted to second lieutenant on July 1, 1918, and to captain on July 2, 1918. He spent most of the war in Cuba. After completing his military service, he
2835-543: A year, along with a railroad. With just four stores and a pharmacy, Owatonna quickly prospered and grew to 1,500 inhabitants in five years. Kaplan wrote about the Owatonna area in letters donated to the Minnesota Historical Society. In them, he described often seeing the indigenous people with "tough constitutions...brown skin and good dispositions", adding: "When you read about battles between whites and Indians, it
2940-505: A youth, he excelled in sports like track , baseball, and association football, and after enrolling at Yale in 1876, he earned varsity honors in every sport the school offered. Following the introduction of rugby-style rules to American football, Camp became a fixture at the Massasoit House conventions where rules were debated and changed. Dissatisfied with what seemed to him to be a disorganized mob, he proposed his first rule change at
3045-432: Is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football first gained popularity in the United States . Like gridiron football generally, college football is most popular in the United States and Canada. While no single governing body exists for college football in the United States, most schools, especially those at
3150-546: Is a national landmark on the National Register of Historic Places and functions as a branch of Wells Fargo Bank. The State School Museum is at West Hills on the grounds of the former Minnesota State School for Dependent and Neglected Children . The Steele County Blades is a junior hockey team that plays at Four Seasons Center and is a member of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League. Although having
3255-525: Is generally considered to be the second tier of American and Canadian football; ahead of high school competition , but below professional competition . In some parts of the United States, especially the South and Midwest , college football is more popular than professional football. For much of the 20th century, college football was generally considered to be more prestigious than professional football. The overwhelming majority of professional football players in
Bernie Bierman - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-542: Is the largest employer, with 1,521 employees, followed by an expanding Viracon, which has 1,434 employees. Both have their corporate headquarters in Owatonna. Other large employers in the community are Bosch , Jostens , Gopher Sport, Brunswick Corporation ( Cybex International ), Daikin Industries , Climate by Design (CDI), AmesburyTruth, ISD 761, Wenger Corporation, Owatonna Clinic - Mayo Health System , and Owatonna Hospital - Allina Hospitals & Clinics . In 1974,
3465-753: Is the whites who are to blame." In 1866, Kaplan helped organize the Catholic cemetery, and a year later, the Bohemian National Cemetery of Owatonna. Kaplan's Woods is part of the land originally owned by Josef Kaplan, and later Victor and Anna Kaplan. The State of Minnesota created Kaplan's Wood State Park, which was later transferred to the City of Owatonna. The Kaplan's Woods Parkway contains over 6 miles (10 km) of hiking and cross country skiing trails, and nearly 2 miles (3 km) of hard-surfaced, handicapped-accessible trail. The parkway includes Lake Kohlmier,
3570-658: Is widely regarded as having originated with a game played in Montreal, in 1865, when British Army officers played local civilians. The game gradually gained a following, and the Montreal Football Club was formed in 1868, the first recorded non-university football club in Canada. Early games appear to have had much in common with the traditional " mob football " played in Great Britain. The games remained largely unorganized until
3675-556: The NFL and other leagues previously played college football. The NFL draft each spring sees 224 players selected and offered a contract to play in the league, with the vast majority coming from the NCAA . Other professional leagues, such as the CFL and UFL , additionally hold their own drafts each year which also see primarily college players selected. Players who are not selected can still attempt to obtain
3780-662: The Old Main lawn on campus in State College, Pennsylvania . They compiled a 12–8–1 record in these seasons, playing as an independent from 1887 to 1890. In 1891, the Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Football Association (PIFA) was formed. It consisted of Bucknell University , Dickinson College , Franklin & Marshall College , Haverford College , Penn State, and Swarthmore College . Lafayette College , and Lehigh University were excluded because it
3885-553: The single wing offensive formation. Bierman continued to serve in the Marine Corps reserves while coaching at Minnesota. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor , Bierman was ordered to report to active duty with the Marines in January 1942. In March 1942, he was named athletic director and head football coach of the Navy's new pre-flight training school at the University of Iowa . He led the 1942 Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football team to
3990-591: The 1960s, he continued an association with Minnesota as the color commentator on WCCO's radio broadcasts of Minnesota football. Bierman died on March 7, 1977, at Saddle Community Hospital in Laguna Hills, California , after a long illness. He was survived by his wife Clara and two sons, William A. Bierman and James Bierman. # denotes interim head coach. # denotes interim head coach # denotes interim head coach College football NAIA : NJCAA : College football ( French : football universitaire )
4095-401: The 19th century, when intramural games of football began to be played on college campuses. Each school played its own variety of football. Princeton University students played a game called "ballown" as early as 1820. In 1827, a Harvard tradition known as "Bloody Monday" began, which consisted of a mass ballgame between the freshman and sophomore classes. In 1860, both the town police and
4200-453: The City of Owatonna purchased the campus of the former Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children , which had been in operation from 1886 until 1945. The site was renamed West Hills, and now serves as an administrative center for the City of Owatonna, as well as housing several nonprofit organizations in the various historic buildings, including the Owatonna Arts Center. Little Theatre of Owatonna has called Merrill Hall in
4305-515: The College of New Jersey, in the first collegiate football game . The game more closely resembled soccer than football as it is played in the 21st century. It was played with a round ball , and used a set of rules suggested by Rutgers captain William J. Leggett , based on The Football Association 's first set of rules , which were an early attempt by the former pupils of England's public schools, to unify
Bernie Bierman - Misplaced Pages Continue
4410-746: The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City to codify the first set of intercollegiate football rules. Before this meeting, each school had its own set of rules and games were usually played using the home team's own particular code. At this meeting, a list of rules, based more on the Football Association's rules than the rules of the recently founded Rugby Football Union , was drawn up for intercollegiate football games. Old "Football Fightum" had been resurrected at Harvard in 1872, when Harvard resumed playing football. Harvard, however, preferred to play
4515-501: The Golden Gophers "blossomed" into a great team. Bierman coached nine consensus All-Americans between 1934 and 1941: fullback Pug Lund , halfbacks George Franck and Bruce Smith , end Frank Larson , guard Bill Bevan , and tackles Ed Widseth , Dick Smith , Urban Odson , and Dick Wildung . Bierman published his book, "Winning Football: Strategy, Psychology and Technique", in 1937. Bierman's pre-war Minnesota dynasties deployed
4620-557: The NFL, are not permitted by the NCAA to be paid salaries. Colleges are only allowed to provide non-monetary compensation such as athletic scholarships that provide for tuition, housing, and books. With new bylaws made by the NCAA, college athletes can now receive "name, image, and likeness" (NIL) deals, a way to get sponsorships and money before their pro debut. Modern North American football has its origins in various games, all known as "football", played at public schools in Great Britain in
4725-730: The North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina . On November 13, 1887, the Virginia Cavaliers and Pantops Academy fought to a scoreless tie in the first organized football game in the state of Virginia . Students at UVA were playing pickup games of the kicking-style of football as early as 1870, and some accounts even claim that some industrious ones organized a game against Washington and Lee College in 1871, just two years after Rutgers and Princeton's historic first game in 1869. But no record has been found of
4830-568: The Owatonna area was settled was in 1854. It was platted in September 1855, incorporated as a town on August 9, 1858, and as a city on February 23, 1865. In 1856, Josef Karel Kaplan emigrated from the village of Dlouhá Třebová, southeast of Prague, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), and selected a quarter section [160 acres (65 ha)] of land near the town of Owatonna. Kaplan described Owatonna as having just 50 small homes, but predicted 100 within
4935-702: The West hills their home since 1966 The ongoing practical joke Pesky Pants took place in Owatonna between 1965 and 1989 In the middle of Owatonna's downtown is the National Farmer's Bank , widely recognized as one of the premier examples of the Prairie School of architecture in America. Designed by Louis Sullivan , the building was finished in 1908 and features gold leaf arches, stained-glass windows, and nouveau Baroque art designs, all still in pristine condition. It
5040-428: The age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age in
5145-428: The ball only when being pursued. As a result of this, Harvard refused to attend the rules conference organized by Rutgers, Princeton and Columbia at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City on October 20, 1873, to agree on a set of rules and regulations that would allow them to play a form of football that was essentially Association football; and continued to play under its own code. While Harvard's voluntary absence from
5250-476: The ball was advanced by kicking or carrying it, and tackles of the ball carrier stopped play – actions of which have carried over to the modern version of football played today Harvard later challenged its closest rival, Yale, to which the Bulldogs accepted. The two teams agreed to play under a set of rules called the "Concessionary Rules", which involved Harvard conceding something to Yale's soccer and Yale conceding
5355-473: The bench seating). This allows them to seat more fans in a given amount of space than the typical professional stadium, which tends to have more features and comforts for fans. Only three stadiums owned by U.S. colleges or universities, L&N Stadium at the University of Louisville , Center Parc Stadium at Georgia State University , and FAU Stadium at Florida Atlantic University , consist entirely of chair back seating. College athletes, unlike players in
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#17328874834265460-413: The bond business while at Tulane. In April 1925, he was hired as head football coach and associate professor of physical education at Mississippi A&M. The position was full time, marking the end of Bierman's time in the bond business. Bierman later recalled that football was at a "low ebb" at Mississippi A&M when he took the job and recalled that a highlight of his time there was a close 6–0 loss to
5565-474: The center. Later changes made it possible to snap the ball with the hands, either through the air or by a direct hand-to-hand pass. Rugby league followed Camp's example, and in 1906 introduced the play-the-ball rule, which greatly resembled Camp's early scrimmage and center-snap rules. In 1966, rugby league introduced a four-tackle rule (changed in 1972 to a six-tackle rule) based on Camp's early down-and-distance rules. Camp's new scrimmage rules revolutionized
5670-546: The city of New Haven , banned the play of all forms of football in 1860. American football historian Parke H. Davis described the period between 1869 and 1875 as the 'Pioneer Period'; the years 1876–93 he called the 'Period of the American Intercollegiate Football Association'; and the years 1894–1933 he dubbed the "Period of Rules Committees and Conferences". On November 6, 1869, Rutgers University faced Princeton University , then known as
5775-557: The city was 37.2 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 13.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female. As of the census of 2000, 22,434 people, 8,704 households, and 5,936 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,779.9 inhabitants per square mile (687.2/km ). There were 8,940 housing units at an average density of 709.3 per square mile (273.9/km ). The racial makeup of
5880-564: The city was 94.09% White , 1.56% African American , 0.13% Native American , 0.99% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 1.92% from other races , and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.31% of the population. There were 8,704 households, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who
5985-479: The city. The population density was 1,761.8 inhabitants per square mile (680.2/km ). There were 10,724 housing units at an average density of 738.1 per square mile (285.0/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 91.2% White , 3.8% African American , 0.3% Native American , 0.9% Asian , 2.2% from other races , and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.3% of the population. There were 10,068 households, of which 34.1% had children under
6090-482: The college authorities agreed the Bloody Monday had to go. Harvard students responded by going into mourning for a mock figure called "Football Fightum", for whom they conducted funeral rites. The authorities held firm, and it was another dozen years before football was once again played at Harvard. Dartmouth played its own version called " Old division football ", the rules of which were first published in 1871, though
6195-518: The county's stories, and connects people with history in meaningful ways, for today and for tomorrow." Established in 1949 to preserve the history of Steele County, it has become one of the largest and most prestigious historical societies in the state. In 1962, the Society permanently leased part of the southeast section of the fairgrounds to begin a pioneer village, the Village of Yesteryear , which has grown in
6300-464: The eastern bank of the Straight River , extending towards the south from Maple Creek . The city has grown in all directions, and now lies on both sides of the river, as well as above the ridge north of Maple Creek. Significant growth in recent years has occurred to the northeast, where homes have been built along the ravine of Maple Creek as well as alongside Brooktree Golf Course, to the north, and to
6405-634: The first game in Virginia. On April 9, 1880, at Stoll Field , Transylvania University (then called Kentucky University) beat Centre College by the score of 13 + 3 ⁄ 4 –0 in what is often considered the first recorded game played in the South . The first game of "scientific football" in the South was the first instance of the Victory Bell rivalry between North Carolina and Duke (then known as Trinity College) held on Thanksgiving Day , 1888, at
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#17328874834266510-404: The first meeting he attended in 1878: a reduction from fifteen players to eleven. The motion was rejected at that time but passed in 1880. The effect was to open up the game and emphasize speed over strength. Camp's most famous change, the establishment of the line of scrimmage and the snap from center to quarterback , was also passed in 1880. Originally, the snap was executed with the foot of
6615-404: The first time. The Yale team was coached and captained by David Schley Schaff, who had learned to play football while attending Rugby School . Schaff himself was injured and unable to play the game, but Yale won the game 3–0 nonetheless. Later in 1872, Stevens Tech became the fifth school to field a team. Stevens lost to Columbia, but beat both New York University and City College of New York during
6720-454: The following year. By 1873, the college students playing football had made significant efforts to standardize their fledgling game. Teams had been scaled down from 25 players to 20. The only way to score was still to bat or kick the ball through the opposing team's goal, and the game was played in two 45-minute halves on fields 140 yards long and 70 yards wide. On October 20, 1873, representatives from Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers met at
6825-431: The game dates to at least the 1830s. All of these games, and others, shared certain commonalities. They remained largely "mob" style games, with huge numbers of players attempting to advance the ball into a goal area, often by any means necessary. Rules were simple, and violence and injury were common. The violence of these mob-style games led to widespread protests and a decision to abandon them. Yale , under pressure from
6930-404: The game, though not always as intended. Princeton, in particular, used scrimmage play to slow the game, making incremental progress towards the end zone during each down . Rather than increase scoring, which had been Camp's original intent, the rule was exploited to maintain control of the ball for the entire game, resulting in slow, unexciting contests. At the 1882 rules meeting, Camp proposed that
7035-578: The greatest college football coaches of all time, as only 2 coaches ( Nick Saban (7) and Bear Bryant (6)) have won more. Bierman was born and raised in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota where he played football, basketball, and track, and was captain of the undefeated 1915 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team . Bierman later served as the head football coach at the University of Montana (1919–1921), Mississippi A&M (1925–1926), Tulane University (1927–1931), Iowa Pre-Flight (1942), and Minnesota (1932–1941, 1945–1950). He compiled
7140-629: The highest levels of play, are members of the NCAA . In Canada, collegiate football competition is governed by U Sports for universities. The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (for colleges) governs soccer and other sports but not gridiron football. Other countries, such as Mexico , Japan and South Korea , also host college football leagues with modest levels of support. Unlike most other major sports in North America , no official minor league farm organizations exist for American football or Canadian football . Therefore, college football
7245-421: The last two decades of the 19th century. Several major rivalries date from this time period. November 1890 was an active time in the sport. In Baldwin City, Kansas , on November 22, 1890, college football was first played in the state of Kansas . Baker beat Kansas 22–9. On the 27th, Vanderbilt played Nashville (Peabody) at Athletic Park and won 40–0. It was the first time organized football played in
7350-563: The main routes in the city. Owatonna was first settled in 1853 around the Straight River . The community was named after the Straight River, which in the Dakota language is Wakpá Owóthaŋna . A popular, but apocryphal, story is that the town is named after "Princess Owatonna", the daughter of local Native American Chief Wabena who was supposedly healed by a nearby spring's magic waters, which were said to be rich in iron and sulfur. The earliest
7455-493: The meeting made it hard for them to schedule games against other American universities, it agreed to a challenge to play the rugby team of McGill University , from Montreal , in a two-game series. It was agreed that two games would be played on Harvard's Jarvis baseball field in Cambridge, Massachusetts on May 14 and 15, 1874: one to be played under Harvard rules, another under the stricter rugby regulations of McGill. Jarvis Field
7560-415: The meeting. The rules that they agreed upon were essentially those of rugby union at the time with the exception that points be awarded for scoring a try , not just the conversion afterwards ( extra point ). Incidentally, rugby was to make a similar change to its scoring system 10 years later. Walter Camp is widely considered to be the most important figure in the development of American football. As
7665-452: The mid-19th century. By the 1840s, students at Rugby School were playing a game in which players were able to pick up the ball and run with it, a sport later known as rugby football . The game was taken to Canada by British soldiers stationed there and was soon being played at Canadian colleges. The first documented gridiron football game was played at University College , a college of the University of Toronto , on November 9, 1861. One of
7770-710: The nearest college to play football. It took place at Hamilton Park in New Haven and was the first game in New England. The game was essentially soccer with 20-man sides, played on a field 400 by 250 feet. Yale wins 3–0, Tommy Sherman scoring the first goal and Lew Irwin the other two. After the first game against Harvard, Tufts took its squad to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine for the first football game played in Maine . This occurred on November 6, 1875. Penn 's Athletic Association
7875-603: The next year. He was torn between an admiration for Harvard's style of play and the misery of the Yale defeat, and became determined to avenge Yale's defeat. Spectators from Princeton also carried the game back home, where it quickly became the most popular version of football. On November 23, 1876, representatives from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia met at the Massasoit House hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts to standardize
7980-472: The participants in the game involving University of Toronto students was William Mulock , later chancellor of the school. A football club was formed at the university soon afterward, although its rules of play then are unclear. In 1864, at Trinity College , also a college of the University of Toronto, F. Barlow Cumberland and Frederick A. Bethune devised rules based on rugby football. Modern Canadian football
8085-717: The players only to criticize their play. Bierman remained employed by the University of Minnesota's athletic department until his retirement in the summer of 1959. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955. He was also inducted into the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame in 1958, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1967, the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, and the University of Minnesota "M" Club Hall of Fame in 1991. After retiring in 1959, Bierman moved to southern California. During
8190-436: The ridge north of Maple Creek that marks the boundary between the oldest parts of the city and more recent developments. Record rainfall events from September 22 to 24, 2010, caused flooding of the Straight River and Maple Creek in and near Owatonna, with developments in the floodplains of both streams completely inundated. As of the census of 2010, there were 25,599 people, 10,068 households, and 6,737 families resided in
8295-482: The rules of their various public schools. The game was played at a Rutgers Field in New Brunswick, New Jersey . Two teams of 25 players attempted to score by kicking the ball into the opposing team's goal. Throwing or carrying the ball was not allowed, but there was plenty of physical contact between players. The first team to reach six goals was declared the winner. Rutgers won by a score of six to four. A rematch
8400-615: The rules were changed to allow tackling below the waist, and in 1889, the officials were given whistles and stopwatches. After leaving Yale in 1882, Camp was employed by the New Haven Clock Company until his death in 1925. Though no longer a player, he remained a fixture at annual rules meetings for most of his life, and he personally selected an annual All-American team every year from 1889 through 1924. The Walter Camp Football Foundation continues to select All-American teams in his honor. College football expanded greatly during
8505-625: The rules were formulated before the game. Owatonna, Minnesota Owatonna ( / ˌ oʊ w ə ˈ t ɒ n ə / OH -wə- TON -ə ) is a city and the county seat of Steele County , Minnesota , United States. The population was 26,420 at the 2020 census . Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August. Interstate 35 and U.S. Highways 14 and 218 are three of
8610-481: The school district 104 million dollars in bond authority to build a new Owatonna High School . A smaller bond was also approved for the redevelopment of the old OHS site. The new high school, a 317,000 square foot building, located in south eastern Owatonna, broke ground on May 6, 2021, and opened to students on September 5, 2023. A public grand opening ceremony was held on September 23, 2023. The Steele County Historical Society "preserves Steele County's past, shares
8715-570: The score of this contest. Washington and Lee also claims a 4 to 2 win over VMI in 1873. On October 18, 1888, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 6 to 4 in the first intercollegiate game in the state of North Carolina . On December 14, 1889, Wofford defeated Furman 5 to 1 in the first intercollegiate game in the state of South Carolina . The game featured no uniforms, no positions, and
8820-431: The scoring rules, finally arriving at four points for a touchdown, two points for kicks after touchdowns , two points for safeties, and five for field goals . Camp's innovations in the area of point scoring influenced rugby union's move to point scoring in 1890. In 1887, game time was set at two-halves of 45 minutes each. Also in 1887, two paid officials—a referee and an umpire —were mandated for each game. A year later,
8925-427: The sheer number of fans following major colleges provides a financial equalizer for the game, with Division I programs – the highest level – playing in huge stadiums, six of which have seating capacity exceeding 100,000 people. In many cases, college stadiums employ bench-style seating, as opposed to individual seats with backs and arm rests (although many stadiums do have a small number of chair back seats in addition to
9030-465: The southeast. Geographical landmarks of note include Kaplan's Woods, a hardwood nature preserve on the southern border of the city; Cinder Hill, a steep 60-foot hill on Linn Avenue overlooking downtown that local athletes use for training; the Straight River dam, originally used to power a mill and now reconstructed to include a fish ladder; and the Forest Hill Cemetery, an old wooded cemetery on
9135-487: The state of Tennessee . The 29th also saw the first instance of the Army–Navy Game . Navy won 24–0. Rutgers was first to extend the reach of the game. An intercollegiate game was first played in the state of New York when Rutgers played Columbia on November 2, 1872. It was also the first scoreless tie in the history of the fledgling sport. Yale football starts the same year and has its first match against Columbia,
9240-466: The two schools organized a game for October 23, 1869, but it was rained out. Students of the University of Virginia were playing pickup games of the kicking-style of football as early as 1870, and some accounts even claim it organized a game against Washington and Lee College in 1871; but no record has been found of the score of this contest. Due to scantiness of records of the prior matches some will claim Virginia v. Pantops Academy November 13, 1887, as
9345-404: The undefeated, national champion 1925 Alabama team . He served as the school's head football coach in 1925 and 1926, compiling an 8–8–1 record. In April 1927, he was hired as Tulane's head football coach. After two rebuilding years, Bierman's Tulane teams did not lose a conference game and won three consecutive Southern Conference championships from 1929 to 1931. The 1929 Tulane team compiled
9450-468: The years since through the additional move of historic structures, as well as museum buildings built on site. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 14.62 square miles (37.87 km ); 14.53 square miles (37.63 km ) is land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km ) is water. The oldest part of the city (including the downtown area) is on a low-lying area on
9555-443: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males. The median income for
9660-450: Was a baby, but returned to Minnesota, living in Waseca , Paynesville , Litchfield , and Minneapolis . The family returned to Litchfield in 1908, and it was there that Bierman attended high school and played football, baseball, and track, before graduating in 1912. Bierman's high school athletic success is remarkable given his bout of osteomyelitis which confined him to crutches for 3 years as
9765-473: Was also the first time one team scored over 100 points and the opposing team was shut out. The next week, Princeton outscored Lafayette 140 to 0. The first intercollegiate game in the state of Vermont happened on November 6, 1886, between Dartmouth and Vermont at Burlington, Vermont . Dartmouth won 91 to 0. Penn State played its first season in 1887, but had no head coach for their first five years, from 1887 to 1891. The teams played its home games on
9870-503: Was at the time a patch of land at the northern point of the Harvard campus, bordered by Everett and Jarvis Streets to the north and south, and Oxford Street and Massachusetts Avenue to the east and west. Harvard beat McGill in the "Boston Game" on the Thursday and held McGill to a 0–0 tie on the Friday. The Harvard students took to the rugby rules and adopted them as their own, The games featured
9975-527: Was felt they would dominate the Association. Penn State won the championship with a 4–1–0 record. Bucknell's record was 3–1–1 (losing to Franklin & Marshall and tying Dickinson). The Association was dissolved prior to the 1892 season. The first nighttime football game was played in Mansfield, Pennsylvania on September 28, 1892, between Mansfield State Normal and Wyoming Seminary and ended at halftime in
10080-594: Was hired in May 1919 as head football, basketball and track coach at the University of Montana . He served as head football coach at Montana from 1919 to 1921. The highlight of his time at Montana was an 18–14 upset victory over Washington in October 1920. In the annual rivalry game with Montana State, Bierman's team's played to a tie in 1919 and won consecutive games in 1920 and 1921. While at Montana, Bierman met his wife Clara McKenzie. In 1922, Bierman returned to Minnesota working as
10185-556: Was looking to pick "a twenty" to play a game of football against Columbia. This "twenty" never played Columbia, but did play twice against Princeton. Princeton won both games 6 to 0. The first of these happened on November 11, 1876, in Philadelphia and was the first intercollegiate game in the state of Pennsylvania . Brown entered the intercollegiate game in 1878. The first game where one team scored over 100 points happened on October 25, 1884, when Yale routed Dartmouth 113–0. It
10290-476: Was officially abolished and all its lands, buildings, property, and funds were transferred to the newly established Owatonna State School, which provided academic and vocational training for the developmentally disabled. The Owatonna State School was closed June 30, 1970. In 1974, the City purchased the compound for its office space. Renamed "West Hills," it continues to serve as the City's administration complex and home to many nonprofit civic organizations including
10395-542: Was played at Princeton a week later under Princeton's own set of rules (one notable difference was the awarding of a "free kick" to any player that caught the ball on the fly, which was a feature adopted from The Football Association's rules; the fair catch kick rule has survived through to modern American game). Princeton won that game by a score of 8 – 0. Columbia joined the series in 1870 and by 1872 several schools were fielding intercollegiate teams, including Yale and Stevens Institute of Technology . Columbia University
10500-452: Was released by the Navy in October 1944. After his discharge from the military, Bierman returned to Minnesota as an advisory football coach in October 1944. He resumed his role as Minnesota's head football coach in 1945 and held that post through the 1950 season. His teams did not compete for championships after the war, and he resigned as head coach in November 1950, as his 1950 team compiled
10605-590: Was the 1881 Michigan team , which played at Harvard, Yale and Princeton. The nation's first college football league, the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives (also known as the Western Conference), a precursor to the Big Ten Conference , was founded in 1895. Led by coach Fielding H. Yost , Michigan became the first "western" national power. From 1901 to 1905, Michigan had
10710-618: Was the Owatonna Art Education Project . Parts of the 1995 movie Angus were filmed in and around Owatonna, including Owatonna Senior High School , its football team, and marching band. Much of the 2014 silent film The Root of Evil was shot on location in Owatonna, most notably at the Owatonna Senior High School and the Gainey Center. Produced by a cast and crew of over 60 Owatonna High School students,
10815-638: Was the first game west of the Mississippi River . November 30, 1905, saw Chicago defeat Michigan 2 to 0. Dubbed "The First Greatest Game of the Century", it broke Michigan's 56-game unbeaten streak and marked the end of the "Point-a-Minute" years. Organized collegiate football was first played in the state of Virginia and the south on November 2, 1873, in Lexington between Washington and Lee and VMI . Washington and Lee won 4–2. Some industrious students of
10920-497: Was the second of four Bierman brothers to compete in athletics at the University of Minnesota. Older brother Al Bierman played halfback for the football team in 1912 and 1913. George Bierman was the school's top broad jumper. Harlow Bierman was the youngest brother joined the football team in 1917. In the summer of 1916, Bierman accepted a job as the football coach at Butte High School in Butte, Montana . His Butte team outscored opponents by
11025-488: Was the third school to field a team. The Lions traveled from New York City to New Brunswick on November 12, 1870, and were defeated by Rutgers 6 to 3. The game suffered from disorganization and the players kicked and battled each other as much as the ball. Later in 1870, Princeton and Rutgers played again with Princeton defeating Rutgers 6–0. This game's violence caused such an outcry that no games at all were played in 1871. Football came back in 1872, when Columbia played Yale for
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