Haven't signed into your Scholastic account before?
Teachers, not yet a subscriber?
Subscribers receive access to the website and print magazine.
You are being redirecting to Scholastic's authentication page...
Announcements & Tutorials
Renew Now, Pay Later
Sharing Google Activities
2 min.
Setting Up Student View
Exploring Your Issue
Using Text to Speech
Join Our Facebook Group!
1 min.
Subscriber Only Resources
Access this article and hundreds more like it with a subscription to Scholastic Math magazine.
STANDARDS
CCSS: 6.EE.A.2.C, 7.EE.B.3, MP1, MP6
TEKS: 6.3D, 6.7D, 7.3A, 7.3B
Article Options
Presentation View
FOOTBALL
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports/Imagn
Every Sunday in the fall, people gather around their TVs to watch football. Our fascination with the sport started back in 1869 when Rutgers University played Princeton University in what is now considered the first U.S. football game. They followed modified rugby rules, which later became the rules for American football. The invention of broadcast television propelled the sport’s popularity. Since the first broadcast of an NFL game in 1939, people have tuned in to watch their favorite teams face off. Today more than 100 million people watch the Super Bowl each year!
Read on about some highlights in the history of football. Then plug in the numbers to solve the equation below and reveal a final fact!
MCMLXVII
DPA Picture Alliance Archive/Alamy Stock Photo
(aka 1967)Year the first Super Bowl was played. Organizers use Roman numerals for the Super Bowl to avoid confusion since the championship game is played in the beginning of the following year.
1869
Library of Congress
Year the first college football game was played. Rutgers beat Princeton, 6-4.
125
NFL
Age, in years, of the oldest American football team. The Arizona Cardinals were originally in Chicago. It’s one of two original teams still playing today. (The other is the Chicago Bears.)
55
Steve Nehf/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Number of passing touchdowns scored by Peyton Manning when he set the record for most touchdowns in a single season in 2013.
7
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports/Imagn
Number of Super Bowls Tom Brady won—the most of any player!