The 1920 season marked a pivotal moment in American sports history, witnessing the birth of what would eventually become the National Football League. Initially known as the American Professional Football Association (APFA), this inaugural season laid the groundwork for organized professional football, though its structure and operations were vastly different from the sophisticated league we know today. The season was characterized by a flexible schedule,
a nascent organizational body, and a blend of games against both affiliated and non-affiliated teams, reflecting the sport's early, less formalized nature.
Forming the League: A Collaborative Effort
The idea for a more organized professional football league began to take shape in August 1920. Representatives from four prominent Ohio League teams—the Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Tigers, Dayton Triangles, and Akron Pros—convened to discuss the future of the sport. This initial meeting led to a tentative agreement on several key principles, including the introduction of a salary cap and a commitment not to sign college players or those already under contract with other teams. They also decided to call their new association the American Professional Football Conference.
Following this foundational meeting, an expanded gathering was held on September 17, 1920, in Canton, Ohio, to formally establish the organization. This second meeting brought together representatives from 14 founding teams, including the original four Ohio clubs, along with teams from Illinois, Indiana, New York, and Michigan. These teams collectively formed the American Professional Football Association (APFA). Jim Thorpe, the renowned player-coach of the Canton Bulldogs, was appointed as the APFA's first president, a choice largely influenced by his celebrity status, which was seen as beneficial for publicity.
A League in Its Infancy: Structure and Scheduling
The APFA in 1920 was a far cry from a modern sports league. Its primary functions were membership management and the articulation of general principles, rather than strict governance. Historians have likened it to a "weak form of the NCAA" of its time, noting that the league office had minimal influence over its member teams. A significant aspect of this early structure was the absence of a fixed regular-season schedule. Each team was responsible for arranging its own games as the season progressed, leading to considerable variation in the number of games played, the opponents faced, and the overall strength of schedule.
This decentralized scheduling meant that traditional local rivalries often took precedence, regardless of a team's APFA affiliation. For instance, the Rochester Jeffersons primarily played against local teams from their sandlot circuit and the New York Professional Football League, with only one game against an APFA opponent. The fluid nature of scheduling also meant that a significant portion of games played by APFA teams were against non-APFA opponents. Out of 90 games involving APFA teams in 1920, 51 were played against teams not affiliated with the association.
Early Milestones and Unofficial Standings
The 1920 season saw several notable firsts. The first game involving an APFA team took place on September 26, when the Rock Island Independents defeated the St. Paul Ideals 48–0. A week later, on October 3, the first official game between two APFA members occurred, with the Dayton Triangles beating the Columbus Panhandles 14–0. In this historic match, Lou Partlow of the Triangles scored the league's first touchdown, and George "Hobby" Kinderline kicked the first extra point. An historic marker at Triangle Park in Dayton commemorates this inaugural APFA member game.
Due to the informal scheduling and the league's nascent structure, no official standings were maintained or published by the APFA during the season. The standings that exist today were compiled and published by football historians much later. This lack of official record-keeping meant that fans in different regions often had varying opinions on who the league champion was. The final determination of the champion was ultimately left to a meeting of team owners held during the winter after the season concluded, highlighting the rudimentary nature of the league's operations in its foundational year.
