Thanks to Bob P. This article was published on History Link by Duane Colt Denfeld, Ph.D.
On January 1, 1918, two armed-services football teams, composed largely of former star college players now on active duty, meet in the 1918 Rose Bowl. The Camp Lewis 91st Division team from Washington loses to the Mare Island Marines from California by a score of 19 to 7. The unusual meeting in what is normally a college bowl game comes during World War I. College football teams have been depleted as students leave for military service, while the armed services have been able to field teams with all-star players. Military leaders particularly emphasize football, considering it excellent combat training and arguing that it teaches discipline, teamwork, and following orders. For the 1917 season, Camp Lewis, the large army base south of Tacoma in Pierce County, organized a 12-team intramural league. The best players from that league have been selected for a camp team, the Camp Lewis 91st Division, which played against colleges and other service teams. The Camp Lewis team has proved to be one of the best service or college teams on the West Coast, winning a berth in the 1918 Rose Bowl.
College Sports During Wartime
With the mobilization that followed U.S entry into World War I on April 6, 1917, many college athletes joined or were drafted into the military. Universities found themselves with diminished enrollments and, in a patriotic move, colleges dropped or cut back their sports programs. For example, in 1917 the Washington State College football team had a limited schedule, which included a game against the Camp Lewis team. When Tournament of Roses officials considered their January 1, 1918, game, the Rose Bowl, they debated canceling it. In discussions that reached the White House it was decided for public morale to play the New Year’s Day game. (cont)