UNI Beats Iowa State: Iowa Time Machine November 17, 1900

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 17, 1900, the Iowa State Normal School, now the University of Northern Iowa, went to Ames and earned its first-ever football victory over Iowa State College with a 5–0 win.  For the Normal School, which had only recently begun fielding competitive athletic teams, the victory symbolized the growing importance of college sports in shaping school pride and community spirit across Iowa.

At the turn of the twentieth century, football was still a developing sport in the Midwest. Rules were changing rapidly, protective gear was minimal, and scoring was far different from the modern game. The Iowa State Normal School in Cedar Falls had formed its first football team in 1895, mainly competing against local colleges and clubs. Iowa State, founded earlier and with a larger student body, was already an established competitor. Games between the two schools reflected both athletic rivalry and institutional pride, as smaller colleges sought to prove they could stand toe-to-toe with the state’s major universities. In this environment, every touchdown and goal carried symbolic weight.

The 1900 matchup between the Normal School and Iowa State was a defensive struggle played on a rough, muddy field. Scoring was rare, and toughness mattered as much as strategy. The Normal team’s lone score came on a safety, worth five points under the rules of the time, after they pinned Iowa State deep in its own territory. Fans and students celebrated the narrow victory as a milestone achievement. Newspapers across the state took note of the upset, praising the Normal School’s determination and discipline. For a team still building its reputation, the 5–0 win was proof that skill and effort could triumph over size and status.

That November afternoon in 1900 became an early chapter in the long story of college football in Iowa. The game marked the first of many meetings between UNI and Iowa State and showed that competition could unite communities while inspiring generations of student-athletes. #Iowa #CollegeFootball #OTD #Rivalry #History