The first NFL game in league history was played on September 26, 1920, between the Dayton Triangles and the Columbus Panhandles at Triangle Park in Dayton, Ohio, with Dayton winning 14–0.

Quick Scoop

  • The league was originally called the American Professional Football Association (APFA) in 1920 and was renamed the National Football League (NFL) in 1922.
  • That first matchup in Dayton is officially recognized as the inaugural NFL game and is often cited as the starting point of modern professional football in the United States.
  • Only a few hundred fans reportedly attended, a sharp contrast to today’s massive stadium crowds and global broadcasts.

A Bit of Story

Picture a small park in Dayton, Ohio, in 1920: no giant video boards, no fantasy stats, no primetime hype—just two gritty teams, the Triangles and Panhandles, lining up on a simple field that would quietly launch a century of football history. Lou Partlow of Dayton is credited with scoring the first touchdown in league history, setting the tone for the sport’s future as a tough, run-heavy game long before today’s pass-happy offenses.

From a modest crowd in Dayton to today’s global spectacle, that first 1920 game is the seed from which the entire NFL grew.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.