Football

Football came to Vermont in the 1870s when annual interclass football games were played at the University of Vermont. Eventually the university formed an official team, which joined the New England Conference in 1938 (and became the Yankee Conference in 1947). The university discontinued their football team in 1974. Changes in the uniform can help narrow the date of historic images.

Prior to 1942, football players did not wear padding, as can be seen in the image below. Helmets were worn, but face guards were not introduced until around 1965.

Early Football Uniforms: Image courtesy of the University of Vermont Landscape Change Program and the University of Vermont Archives