If you ask a casual fan who played the first NFL game, they’ll probably give you a blank stare or guess something like the Bears and the Packers. It makes sense. Those are the titans. But the reality is way more chaotic, kind of unorganized, and happened in a place most people don’t associate with major league sports today.
It wasn’t even called the NFL back then.
In 1920, the league was the American Professional Football Association (APFA). It was a loose collection of teams from the Midwest—mostly factory towns where tough guys played for extra cash on the weekends. There wasn't some grand kickoff ceremony with a national anthem and flyovers. Instead, on October 3, 1920, two games happened. But one is officially recognized as the "first" because of how the scheduling shook out.
The Dayton Triangles played the Columbus Panhandles. That’s the answer.
Why Dayton and Columbus Own This Slice of History
It happened at Triangle Park in Dayton, Ohio. Imagine a world where professional football was the "B-side" to college ball. People cared about Ohio State or Michigan; pro players were seen as mercenaries or guys just looking to avoid a real job for a few more years.
The Triangles were actually a pretty good squad. They were named after the park, which was founded by industrial heavyweights like Charles Kettering and Edward Deeds. These weren't just athletes; many worked in the factories. On that Sunday afternoon, about 5,000 people showed up. They paid $1.75 for a ticket. Think about that for a second. You can barely get a bottled water at SoFi Stadium for $10 now, but for less than two bucks, those fans saw the birth of a multi-billion dollar empire.
The Triangles absolutely crushed the Panhandles. The final score was 14-0. Lou Partlow, a guy they nicknamed "The Dayton Ram" because he used to practice by literally ramming his shoulders into trees, scored the first touchdown. He wasn't some polished athlete with a nutritionist. He was a powerhouse who worked in a plant.
The "Other" First Game
Now, here is where it gets a little murky. While Dayton and Columbus were battling it out, another game was happening in Rock Island, Illinois. The Rock Island Independents played the St. Paul Ideals. They actually kicked off at the same time, or maybe even a few minutes earlier.
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So why don't they get the credit?
The Ideals weren't actually members of the APFA. They were an independent "non-league" team. Because the NFL (as the APFA) only recognizes games between two league members as official league games, Dayton vs. Columbus gets the crown. Rock Island won their game 48-0, but in the eyes of the record books, it was basically an exhibition.
The League That Almost Didn't Happen
We think of the NFL as this invincible machine. In 1920, it was a miracle if a team stayed solvent for a whole month. The league was formed in a Hupmobile showroom in Canton, Ohio. Legend has it the founders sat on the fenders of the cars because there weren't enough chairs.
They didn't even have a set schedule.
Teams basically called each other up and said, "Hey, you want to play Sunday?" Some teams played more games than others. Some played high school teams or local athletic clubs just to keep the lights on. The Decatur Staleys—who eventually became the Chicago Bears—were there. The Chicago Cardinals (now in Arizona) were there. But the Triangles and Panhandles were the ones who actually got the ball rolling in that first official window.
Honestly, the Panhandles were a fascinating group. They were mostly made up of the Nesser brothers. There were six of them. They worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad. They were famous for being the toughest, meanest guys in the sport. But on that day in Dayton, they couldn't get anything going. The "Ram" was too much for them.
The Players Nobody Remembers
We know Mahomes. We know Brady. But who were these guys?
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Bud Talbott was the captain for Dayton. He was a former Yale star. In those days, having a "college man" on your pro roster was a huge deal for credibility. Then you had Dave Reese, who caught the first touchdown pass in league history in that same game. These guys weren't celebrities. They went back to their jobs on Monday.
The conditions were brutal.
Helmets were leather scraps that barely protected your ears, let alone your brain. There was no such thing as a "roughing the passer" penalty. If you could hit a guy, you hit him. The field at Triangle Park wasn't some manicured turf; it was grass and dirt maintained by the factory workers.
Why This History Matters for Modern Fans
Understanding who played the first NFL game isn't just about winning a trivia night. It’s about the shift from "amateurism" to "professionalism." Before 1920, pro football was illegal in some places or at least looked down upon. The APFA gave it a structure.
Even though the Triangles eventually folded in 1929 (their remnants eventually became the Brooklyn Dodgers of the NFL, and later the Colts, though the lineage is messy), their existence proved that people would pay to see pros.
Common Misconceptions About the 1920 Season
- The Packers were there: Nope. Green Bay didn't join the league until 1921. They were playing, but they weren't "official" yet.
- It was a high-scoring affair: Definitely not. Defense ruled. The ball was fatter, harder to throw, and the rules favored grinding it out on the ground.
- Jim Thorpe played in the first game: Thorpe was the first president of the league and played for the Canton Bulldogs, but he wasn't on the field for that Dayton/Columbus opener. He was the "face" of the league to give it PR, but he didn't play every single week.
The Evolution of the Game
If you could transport Lou Partlow or one of the Nesser brothers to a modern NFL game, they wouldn't recognize it. The speed is different. The "forward pass" was a risky, rarely used trick in 1920 compared to the air-raid offenses we see now.
But the core remains.
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That first game in Dayton set the blueprint: local pride, physical dominance, and the beginning of a Sunday tradition. It’s wild to think that the multi-billion dollar Super Bowl started with a bunch of guys from a railroad company and an airplane parts factory hitting each other in a park in Ohio.
Dayton eventually lost its team because the city was too small. As the league grew, it needed big-market TV money and massive stadiums. Small-town Ohio couldn't compete with New York or Chicago. But for one Sunday in October, they were the center of the football universe.
Actionable Insights for Football History Buffs
If you’re ever in Dayton, Ohio, you can actually visit Triangle Park. It’s still there. There’s a historical marker. It isn't a museum with a gift shop—it’s just a park. But standing there gives you a weird sense of perspective.
For those looking to dive deeper into the roots of the game, I recommend checking out the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s digital archives on the "Hupmobile Meeting." It details exactly how the league was structured (or wasn't) during that first year.
You can also look into the "Nesser Brothers" specifically. Their story is probably the best example of what pro football was like before it got "corporate." They were the ultimate "iron man" players who paved the way for the legends we celebrate today.
Next time you’re watching a game, remember the Triangles. They didn't have the Gatorade baths or the Nike deals. They had a dirt field and a $1.75 gate. But without that 14-0 shutout in Dayton, the NFL as we know it might never have kicked off.
Go find a replay of a 1920s-style "re-enactment" or look at the old grainy photos of the Dayton Triangles. It makes you appreciate the padding on modern players a lot more. It also reminds us that at its heart, football has always been about who’s the toughest person on the field.
The record books show the Triangles won that day. But really, the league won by just surviving that first Sunday. They proved that professional football wasn't just a hobby—it was a business with a future.