Sports were a part of campus life as early as 1879.  In 1881, The Lantern urged the students to create a baseball team and a track team that could play with any college.  The Athletic Association was created that same year and the first Field Day was held in the spring.  Baseball was the premier sport in the early years.

Baseball Team, 1892

However, by 1890 the university catalog stated: “There are also clubs in archery, lawn-tennis, base ball, and  foot-ball who meet teams from other colleges at proper times.”

Football game on field

Football action, 1892

Man throwing shot put at track meet, 1895

Man throwing shot put at track meet, 1895

As for women’s sports, their earliest competitive team was in basketball even before the turn of the century.  Women were participating in city-wide basketball competitions by February 1899.

Women's basketball group, 1905

Women’s basketball group, 1905