With its roots in two sports – soccer and rugby – American football can be traced back to 1869 when players at Rutgers and Princeton played what is now known as the first college football game.  While college football remained the mainstay of the game for many years, professional football emerged in 1892 when William “Pudge” Heffelfinger was paid $500 to play for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. In 1920, The National Football League was officially established. 

Today, football is the most popular sport in our country and the Super Bowl has become the USA’s most watched, most popular, single-day sporting event. It has also become a major economic driver. In 2011, USA TODAY reported that according to the NFL Players Association:

-          the NFL would generate almost $9.5 million in revenue

-          the league supports approximately 110,000 jobs in NFL cities

-          NFL cities enjoy a $5 billion boast to their local economies.

Collegiate football, the third most popular sport in America, operates under the supervision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).  Over time, college football, too, has turned into a massive business enterprise producing billions of dollars in advertising revenues, licensed merchandise sales, jobs and other economic benefits. 

Kick-off for the 2013 collegiate season is tomorrow night when the North Carolina Tar Heels take on the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia.  And if you’re a pro football fan, the NFL begins its 94^th year on September 5^th when the Super Bowl Champions Baltimore Ravens face the Denver Broncos.  Are you ready?