Mythical Period

The Mythical Period (1890 - 1908) is the first era in the unofficial interhall football chronology. The inaugural age of interhall football is born on November 11, 1890, from the University Football Championship match between Brownson and Sorin Halls. It concludes in 1908, the last year before round-robin schedules were implemented to organize the interhall league.

The Mythical Period is a reference to the eponymous name given to early prehistoric China. This era of history is principally characterized by mythological characters and serves to explain the creation and expansion of the people in that region and their first dynasty. Much like this historical era, the Mythical Period of interhall football is filled with games, teams, players, and coaches who would appear unbelievable to the modern game. Additionally, this period sheds light on the birth of intramural football and seeks to explain how the league grew into the storied tradition it is today.

Sorin Hall won the first interhall football game, 2–0 over the Brownsonsites, and with it the first championship. This was the first extraordinary event of the era, because despite being the oldest active hall football team on campus, the Sorinites have only won four recognized titles. On top of those four, an additional seven are considered "unclaimed", or unofficial titles due to a lack of contemporary recognition. Five of those seven were awarded during the Mythical Period.

Another mythical occurrence was the act of winning a championship in just one game. From 1890 to 1908, a total 12 teams won the interhall title with a final record of 1–0. Only a single team, the 1896 Carroll Hall Junior Department, managed to raise the bar with a 2–0 showing. Another oddity was the 1906 Badin Hall team that took their first recognized title with a 0–0–1 record. To date, only three hall football teams accomplished this feat, and Badin's is the only one considered to be officially claimable.

Due to the low number of "match" games, the contests that were played became highly anticipated events viewed by a large portion of the Notre Dame community. In 1895, a Thanksgiving Day matchup between Brownson and Sorin Halls received arguably more fanfare than the varsity game that day. In fact, the Sorin roster before the game included no less than nine starters from the varsity team. Rules barring monogram athletes from interhall competition would not become officially for another two decades.

Teams

Disclaimer: many secondary, class, club, and minor interhall teams also existed during the Mythical Period. However, only teams that are representative of their residence hall or university program are considered for this section.

Established

• Brownson Hall - 1890 - hall established 1855

• Sorin Hall - 1890 - hall established 1888

• Carroll Hall Junior Department - 1892 - hall established 1850s

• Manual Labor School - 1892 - as St. Joseph's Hall by 1897

• Corby Hall - 1902 - minor team 1899-01

Disbanded

• Carroll Hall Junior Department - 1899 - juniors no longer recognized for interhall football