Recognizing the 150th Anniversary of College Football

Floor Speech

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Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first college football game ever played on November 6, 1869, and to recognize the importance of college football in our country today. Since the initial game 150 years ago, more than 5.33 million Americans have played college football and millions more have become devoted fans of the game. Over the past 150 years, college football has become woven into the fabric of our society and the lives of countless Americans.

Many Americans have had the joy and privilege to participate in college football, including many of our nation's greatest leaders-- representing all different backgrounds--who often cite their experiences as college football players as critical factors in their development and their long-term success. College football players have become U.S. Presidents, Rhodes Scholars, actors, activists, chief executives of major businesses, successful entrepreneurs, academics and elected officials. The game promotes camaraderie among players which has translated into lifelong friendships for so many and has grown throughout the years with almost 80,000 student-athletes taking to the field every fall.

In North Carolina's First Congressional District, I represent a number of schools across several divisions within the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA): the Duke University Blue Devils, the East Carolina University (ECU) Pirates, the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Eagles, the Chowan University Hawks, and the Barton College Bulldogs who will field a team in 2020.

College football allows us, as participants and spectators, to put our differences aside and celebrate a game, that in many ways, embodies the spirit of what makes us great as a country--our diversity. It brings together a diverse pool of participants with different backgrounds, experiences, and creeds. On November 6, 2019, we celebrate college football for the stories and memories that it has helped create over these last 150 years.

Madam Speaker, college football is special to so many, and I am honored to recognize such a significant milestone and achievement in the history of this game.

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