Which college teams played in the first Thanksgiving Day football game?

Thanksgiving Day and football share an inseparable bond within American culture, with roots dating back to the 19th century. As families nationwide convene for a festive meal, millions engage in the time-honored tradition of tuning into football games broadcasted on television.

The annual U.S. national holiday has gradually become synonymous with the three F's: food, family, and football. While the NFL has also adopted the tradition of staging games on Thanksgiving, it all started in the landscape of college football.

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Which college teams played in the first Thanksgiving Day football game?

The first-ever college football matchup played on Thanksgiving was between Yale and Princeton on November 30, 1876, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Played amid chilly and wet conditions, the historic encounter unfolded before an audience of approximately 1,000 fans. The New York Times reported:

"The friends of both colleges mustered in good force. Several carriages containing ladies were on the ground, and a goodly number of Alumni were there to cheer the contestants."

The game's scoreline was quite remarkable, with Yale emerging victorious by a score of 2-0. While such a result might be considered unusual for fans accustomed to higher-scoring games, the matchup marked the beginning of a historic tradition, which remains in existence today.

However, it wasn't until 1880, when the Intercollegiate Football Association relocated the end-of-season game to New York, that the Thanksgiving Day football tradition began gaining prominence. Today, few things rival the popularity of football on Thanksgiving in the USA.

Though the association between Thanksgiving and college football is well-established, the NFL only assumed a significant role in this longstanding tradition in 1934. This pivotal moment occurred when the Detroit Lions hosted the Chicago Bears in a nationally broadcast game.

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What college teams are playing on Thanksgiving this season?

The 2023 college football season will see Southeastern Conference in-state rivals, Mississippi State and Ole Miss play on Thanksgiving Day at the David Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. The rivalry matchup between the two teams is known as the "Egg Bowl."

Notably, the Egg Bowl has been scheduled to take place on Thanksgiving 23 times throughout its history, and this year's edition will be the 24th edition played on the annual holiday. The rivalry matchup was played consecutively on Thanksgiving from 1998 to 2003, and 2017 to 2022.