when did professional football begin
College football started in 1875. The first game was between Harvard and Tufts University. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) was formed in 1905 to govern the game and protect the student players. If you're asking, When did the NFL start?, the answer is less than 100 years ago. It was originally called the American Professional Football Association and was founded in 1920 in Canton, Ohio, which is now the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.