The NYU football team was founded in 1873. It was one of the first university-sponsored teams in the U.S., preceded only by Princeton, Rutgers, and Yale. During its inaugural season, NYU lost its only game, to the Stevens Institute of Technology, which was also a brand new team.
Few documents from NYU football's early years have survived, but existing records indicate few wins early on. Following the acquisition of the University Heights campus in 1894, the team began playing and practicing on Ohio Field.
NYU was integral to the regulation of college athletics in the early 20th century, helping to found the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, precursor to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The late 1920s became known as the "Golden Era" of NYU football. The school played a number of games at the new Yankee Stadium, and coach John Meehan led the team to 49 wins and only 15 losses. When Meehan left in 1931, the team was unable to continue its earlier successes, in part because World War II drained the player pool and financial resources.
After the war, the team tried to recapture its previous popularity and success, but increased funds did not lead to increasing interest or ticket sales. In 1953 the team was disbanded. Football made a short return in 1964 as a club sport but never caught on and was officially discontinued in 1967 because of lack of interest.
