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

Boxers vs. Wrestlers Matches Over The Years (Who Prevails?)
In this segment, I am going to focus on Boxer vs Wrestler matches that

Super Bowl XXV (Bills vs. Giants): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXV, which was held on January 27, 1991, at

G.O.A.T Debates: Who Were The Greatest NFL Players Of All-Time?
Is it just me? Is anyone else getting tired of the endless debates about

The Greatest Thanksgiving Game In Pro Football History (1974 Cowboys vs. Redskins)
There have been some really great pro football Thanksgiving Day games throughout the course

Bears vs. Cardinals: NFL’s Oldest Rivalry
It began over 100 years ago. An intense rivalry between two NFL teams like

Super Bowl XXIV (Broncos vs. 49ers): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXIV, which was held on January 28, 1990, at

Washington Football History: With Frank Reading
Frank Reading (host of Ringside With Reading: Boxing History From Yesteryear) hops in my

Stories From The Ring: Controversies During Fights
In this segment, I am going to discuss controversies that occurred in or during