America and the Garrison Stadium: How the US Armed Forces Shaped College Football

    Authors

    J. P. Vasquez

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Armed Forces Soc.

    Keywords

    conscription; draft; football; military; sport; STATE; Political Science; Sociology

    Abstract

    American military institutions importantly shaped the popular sport of college football. From support at its two oldest service academies, interest in football spread through military units across the country with military actors involved in the formation of the country's first collegiate athletic conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Subsequently, the US military functioned as an agent of authoritative diffusion, fostering interest in college football after the First World War. Furthermore, military institutions, including the draft, affected not only which team would be most successful during the Second World War but also how civilians would play the game. These effects call to mind Charles Tilly's work on state formation and security-driven resource extraction as well as Harold Lasswell's garrison state idea.

    Journal Title

    Armed Forces & Society

    Volume

    38

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2012

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    353

    Last Page

    372

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000304909100001

    ISSN

    0095-327X

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