The First Game - Wikipedia

The First Game

Artist	Arnold Friberg
Year	1968
Type	oil painting
Dimensions	95 cm × 150 cm (37.5 in × 60 in)

The First Game is a painting by Arnold Friberg, and was commissioned in 1968 by Chevrolet Motor Division as one of four paintings to commemorate the then-upcoming centennial celebration of college football in the United States.^[1] It depicts the famous first game of American intercollegiate football, played by Rutgers College (now Rutgers University) and the visiting College of New Jersey (by then more commonly known as Princeton College) on November 6, 1869, at College Field in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

The game was played in front of approximately 100 spectators, including a Rutgers professor who is reported to have waved his umbrella at the participants while yelling, "You will come to no Christian end!"^[2] Friberg included the man with the umbrella in the painting as a tribute.

References

^ Scott, Ricahrd (2008). "Chapter 2". SEC Football: 75 Years of Pride and Passion. p. Page 42.
^ Hyman, Vicki (October 23, 2010). "How New Jersey Saved Civilization... the first intercollegiate football game". NJ.com. Retrieved 27 December 2017.

v t e Princeton Tigers football
Venues	University Field (1876–1913) Palmer Stadium (1914–1996) Powers Field at Princeton Stadium (1998–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Legacy Bowl Harvard Penn Rutgers Yale
Culture & lore	First American football game (painting) 1922 Chicago game Poe brothers The Tiger "Princeton Cannon Song" Winged football helmet
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
National championship seasons in bold

v t e Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
Venues	College Field (1869–1890) Neilson Field (1891–1938) Old Rutgers Stadium (1938–1992) Giants Stadium (alternate, 1976–1996) SHI Stadium (1994–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Princeton
Culture & lore	Marching band First American football game (painting)
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold