The first known college football game was played in 1869 and it wasn't long before rivalries began to develop between the earliest football teams.
Here are the 19 oldest rivalries in Division I college football, across the FBS and FCS, beginning with Yale vs. Princeton in 1873. These are taken from official NCAA record books, which you can find here on NCAA.org:
| Teams | first played |
|---|---|
| Yale-Princeton | 1873 |
| Yale-Harvard | 1875 |
| Princeton-Penn | 1876 |
| Princeton-Harvard | 1877 |
| Yale-Brown | 1880 |
| Harvard-Dartmouth | 1882 |
| Lafayette-Lehigh | 1884 |
| South Dakota St.-South Dakota | 1889 |
| Cornell-Columbia | 1889 |
| Penn-Cornell | 1893 |
| Harvard-Brown | 1893 |
| North Dakota-North Dakota St. | 1894 |
| Montana-Montana St. | 1897 |
| William & Mary-Richmond | 1898 |
| Dartmouth-Cornell | 1900 |
| Illinois St.-Eastern Ill. | 1901 |
| North Dakota St.-South Dakota St | 1903 |
| New Hampshire-Maine | 1903 |
| Western Ill.-Illinois St. | 1904 |
Here's more on the oldest rivalries:
Yale vs. Princeton
Yale upset No. 18 Princeton 51-14 in 2019.
The Yale-Princeton rivalry is the oldest in college football, dating back to 1873. Yale and Princeton dominated the college football scene when this rivalry began, with Yale claiming 13 outright national titles and Princeton claiming eight between 1869 and 1894.
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Yale vs. Harvard
The 2018 game was played at Fenway Park.
One of the more well-known rivalries, simply called "The Game," has been around since 1875.
Princeton vs. Penn
Princeton's third-oldest college football rivalry with an Ivy League opponent is the Princeton-Penn series. This one began three seasons after their rivalry with Yale was born, in 1876.
Princeton vs. Harvard
Princeton won its third-straight game against Harvard in 2019.
As you can tell, Princeton takes part in a lot of the oldest rivalries. This one, versus Harvard, has been going on since 1877.
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Yale vs. Brown
Yale rolled over Brown 59-35 in 2019.
This rivalry between the Bulldogs and the Bears began in 1880 and adds another to the list of Ivy League matchups that make up the oldest rivalries in college football.
Harvard vs. Dartmouth
A Hail Mary gave Dartmouth a 9-6 win over Harvard.
This rivalry, which started in 1882, is played between the Crimson and the Big Green. Dartmouth faced an extremely rocky start to the rivalry, not posting a win until 1903 (21 years into the rivalry).
Lafayette vs. Lehigh
Lehigh held Lafayette to a single field goal in 2018.
The rivalry between Lafayette and Lehigh isn't the oldest one in college football, dating back to 1884. But the game known as "The Rivalry" is the most-played rivalry across both the FCS and the FBS. These two teams have played 158 times as of this writing (Nov. 22, 2022).
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Wake Forest outlasted in-state rival North Carolina in 2019.
This North Carolina rivalry started in 1888.
Miami (OH) vs. Cincinnati
Cincinnati topped Miami (OH) 35-13 in 2019.
The rivalry between Miami of Ohio and Cincinnati is known as the "Battle for the Bell." The in-state, non-conference game was originally played in 1888.
Cornell vs. Columbia
Columbia came out on top 24-21 against Cornell in 2018.
The final Ivy league rivalry in the 15 oldest in college football is the Cornell-Columbia game. The rivalry was born in 1889.
South Dakota State vs. South Dakota
South Dakota State won the 2018 game 49-27.
Known as the "South Dakota Showdown Series," this rivalry got its start in 1889.
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Navy vs. Army
Army celebrates a 17-10 victory over Navy in 2018.
Army and Navy have been meeting since 1890. This rivalry (in addition to Air Force's performance against these teams) is one factor in who will take home one of the more regal trophies in college football — the Commander-in-Chief's trophy.
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
Minnesota took the win after 13 years of the axe staying in Madison.
Every season, the Badgers and the Gophers play for one of the stranger rivalry trophies in college football — Paul Bunyan's Axe. Although it's not the oldest rivalry overall, it has been played more than any other rivalry in the FBS.
Minnesota vs. Iowa
Iowa spoiled Minnesota's dreams of a perfect season in 2019.
The Gophers and the Hawkeyes have been meeting in this rivalry since 1891. The winner takes away a bronze pig trophy called Floyd of Rosedale.
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Purdue vs. Indiana
Purdue won the rivalry game to close out the 2018 regular season.
This rivalry between the Boilermakers and Hoosiers began in 1891, and also boasts a somewhat strange trophy. Each year, the winner of the rivalry takes home the Old Oaken Bucket.
