August 3, 1852 – It was the first American intercollegiate sporting event that had ever taken place. The Harvard heavyweight rowing crew competed against their rivals Yale on Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. Harvard triumphed by 2 lengths in over 2 miles over the Eli rowing group.
This started the competitive athletic rivalry between the two Eastern Universities. Most famously the football rivalry between the schools dates back to 1875 and is the second-oldest rivalry in college football, but as we see these two were rivals long before that.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network

Great Rookie Running Back Seasons During The 1970s
During the 1970s, there were several outstanding rookie running backs whose first year in

Super Bowl X: A Retrospective on the Thrilling Final Drive
We have finished reviewing the first 50 Super Bowls, and if you want to

NFL Player Profile: Tyreek “The Freak” Hill
When you are looking through the latest NFL odds, a man you will often see

The Minnesota Vikings in the 1970s: A Trip Down Memory Lane
The Vikings began the 1970 season by getting a small measure of revenge for

Selling Baseball: How Superstars George Wright and Albert Spalding Impacted Sports In America
George Wright and Al Spalding are two of the most important figures in 19th

The Los Angeles Rams in the 1970s: A Trip Down Memory Lane
The 1970 Rams were 8–3–1 going into week thirteen, but they needed to win

The Washington Redskins in the 1970s: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Right around this time last year, I wrote an article on the top eight

NFL’s Youngest Ever Player Might Surprise You!
From a personal standpoint, I truly love the game of football…and to write about