This past weekend, as a member of Princeton’s Club Flag Football team, I had the opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Princeton 150s Football team’s national championship. Like many of you, I did not know - let alone heard of - what 150s Football was until recently. For those of you interested in learning more, I’ve included a press release on the history of 150s Football at Princeton below:
Friends of Princeton Spring Football Since 1934: The Long Orange Line
“The Eastern 150-Pound Football League was founded in 1934 by Princeton, Penn, Cornell, and Yale to create a safer, more accessible format of intercollegiate football that emphasized speed, skill, and agility over sheer size.
Since then, the Friends of PSF has spent over 90 years providing student-athletes the opportunity to compete at one of the world's leading institutions and the home of history's first college football game.
In 2016, the university discontinued our 80-year tradition of tackle football and varsity status. Dismayed but undeterred, FPSF rescued the program's endowment and petitioned the University to build a new team that would honor our storied past and support future generations of student-athletes.
Eight years later, Princeton Club Football is home to over 80 flag football players, fielding both men's and women's teams and competing against NCAA universities across the country. Beyond the Orange Bubble, flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. It has become a state championship high school sport in several states, appears on national broadcasts of NFL Flag, and will feature international competition at the 2028 Summer Olympics.
We believe that football enhances the student experience immeasurably, equipping student-athletes with invaluable lessons, skills, and camaraderie that will serve them for life. These priceless traits are intrinsic to organized football at all levels and can benefit any player regardless of their size or experience.
For nearly a century, FPSF has supported a long line of dedicated student-athletes competing on the gridiron for 150s, Lightweight, Sprint, and now Flag Football. The times have changed our leagues, our teams, and our rulebooks, but never our mission: fostering a safe, accessible way for Princetonians to play the greatest team sport on earth while emphasizing speed, skill, and agility.”
Now that you’re caught up to speed, I want to highlight just how special being a part of this community is. Princeton is one of those places where your ties to the university last a lifetime; after all, our celebratory dinner was with alumni who graduated around 50 years ago! There is something unique about being able to socialize, speak, and relate to alumni who are old enough to be our grandparents (this was mentioned to me several times throughout the evening). If that wasn’t enough, we even held an alumni vs current students flag football game the following morning. This event taught me just how deep one’s connection to Princeton can be and how open alumni are to connecting with one another - even if there is a 50 year age difference. I hope that one day I will be able to come back to the best old place of all and reminisce of the good old days.