Origins and Early Years of Oregon State Football
The Oregon State football program traces its roots to autumn 1893 at what was then State Agricultural College (SAC) in Corvallis. William H. Bloss—the son of college president John McKnight Bloss—had recently moved from the Midwest, bringing a passion for the emerging gridiron sport. Acting as both organizer and playing coach, Bloss held open tryouts and assembled a ragtag 17-man roster composed of college students, a faculty member, a local high school junior, and non-student Corvallis residents. This marked the Oregon State Beavers football origin and the beginning of the team’s rich legacy.
