1874 Harvard vs. McGill football game

On October 20, 1873, representatives from Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers met at 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.

[3][6] The next day, the two teams played under "McGill" rugby rules to a scoreless tie.

[6] McGill used a bladder covered by leather instead of a rubber ball as did Harvard, which was much more difficult to kick.

In late 1874, the Harvard team traveled to Montreal to play McGill in rugby, and won by three tries in front of 2,000 spectators.