The Rose Bowl: The Granddaddy of College Bowl Games
In 1902 an American football tradition started, the Rose Bowl. The first postseason collegiate bowl game in history occurred in Pasadena, California, as one of the activities for the Tournament of Roses. The competing teams were Stanford University and the University of Michigan. Fielding “Hurry up” Yost, the Michigan coach, had led his team to an undefeated season and had accumulated 501 points against ten opponents that season. The point-a-minute offense that Yost employed was complemented by the defense, which had not allowed a point the entire year. In the matchup, Michigan fullback Neil Snow scored 5 touchdowns against an overmatched Stanford team as Michigan rolled to a 49-0 victory. The lopsided game failed to meet expectations of the crowd and the Tournament of Roses committee, who felt that athletic contests would add vibrancy to the festival.
Unfortunately, what they received was less a contest and more a public humiliation for the California squad. Faced with the boring nature of what promoters billed as a spectacular event, organizers decided to drop the football game and replace it with other events. In 1903 polo substituted for the football game but drew only 2000 fans. Rather than returning to football however, which had drawn more spectators than polo, organizers went a different direction, implementing chariot racing as the sport of choice. The chariot races drew upwards of 25,000 fans and lasted until 1914 when economic factors and lack of interest eventually led to the reinstatement of football as the premier attraction 2 years later in 1916.