Some facts are indisputable when it comes to the history of college basketball, like how James Naismith invented the game in 1891 and the first basketball game was played at a YMCA that same year. Or that on February 9, 1895, the first intercollegiate game was played between the Minnesota State School of Agriculture and Hamline College.
These beginnings are well documented, in black and white. There are of course others – these solid and concrete firsts – distributed throughout the birth and development of basketball. Some claims, however, come in shades of gray.
Like for example Geneva’s claim to the title of birthplace of university basketball.
There is a section dedicated to this topic on the Geneva sports website, and when the phrase is searched, Geneva is the first result. It’s a distinction that seemed settled.
Far from there.
Geneva claims that in February 1892, “the first college basketball game was organized intramural by students”, but that Geneva did not participate in an official game until April 8, 1893, when it defeated the New Brighton YMCA 3-0.
The dispute, however, is not over who was the first college to start a team or who was first to play an intramural game – there may never be any other way to determine that other than by the word of James Naismith – it is about the first college to field a team and play in an official match.
And it turns out Vanderbilt has a strong case.
Geneva is used to other schools claiming they are the true birthplace of college basketball, said Cheryl Johnson, Geneva’s director of marketing and public relations services.
She considered the subject closed in 2010 when Ian Naismith, the grandson of basketball founder James Naismith, visited the school, saying he wanted to see the birthplace of basketball for himself university.
He provided Geneva with a quotation from his father’s book, Basketball: its origin and developmentwhere James Naismith explains how CO Beamis, then Geneva athletic director, brought the game back to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.
“Mr. CO Beamis, a Springfield boy, had gone to Geneva College as physics superintendent,” wrote James Naismith. “Beamis had seen the game being played in the training school gymnasium while he was on vacation. He realized it could solve the need for a winter activity at his school. I spoke to him of the success we had had and explained to him the fundamentals of the game. When he returned to Beaver Falls he took up the game at Geneva College; so I believe he was the first to play basketball.”
But while history certainly provides proof of Geneva’s right to consider itself the birthplace of college basketball, since it’s likely the first school to field a team, it’s not that simple. When it comes to determining which university played in an official game for the first time, it’s Vanderbilt’s evidence that carries the most weight.
“Organizing a basketball team, a varsity team and playing a game, it’s different than a group of students getting together and playing,” said Bill Traughber, who is in his 11th year of research and d writing sports stories for Vanderbilt’s official website.
“Geneva considers itself the birthplace of college basketball. I don’t understand why they can say that.»
— Bill Traughber, historian
Traughber first became interested in the topic when a North Carolina fan saw an article proclaiming Vanderbilt as the first team to host and play a game. He asked Traughber if he knew anything about it, and that’s how he discovered Geneva.
It was in 2008 that Traughber looked into the matter, and by the time he finished his research, he was convinced Vanderbilt had the more legitimate case.
His research led him to a Nashville newspaper article written on February 7, 1893, saying that Vanderbilt would play a YMCA team that evening. But that was not enough. He needed proof that the game had actually been played – and he found it.
Another article, dated February 8, stated that the game was played and Vanderbilt won 9-6. There was also a roster and game score listed in the Vanderbilt yearbook, The comet. The date of this competition preceded the first official match in Geneva by more than two months.
“Geneva considers itself the birthplace of college basketball,” Traughber said. “I don’t understand why they can say that. I just reported what I found. Vanderbilt played before Geneva. Both played at YMCA schools, which was interesting.”
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame cannot confirm or deny any of these claims. Historian Matt Zeysing wrote in an email that the Hall “does not have an official position” and has “not investigated the historical record sufficiently to make a claim.”
The only “first team” recognized by the Hall of Fame is the YMCA team that played in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891.
As for Ian Naismith’s statement that Geneva indeed deserves the title, Zeysing wrote that while Naismith was “a wonderful man,” his word would not represent the final word in college basketball history. .
“He was a promoter and he spread the word,” Zeysing wrote. “But I don’t remember him being a historian, other than knowing what he was told. Historical records change, so that wouldn’t amount to calling Ian or any of the Naismiths a liar . But there is evidence to support Vandy’s claim.”
