Summary: As the nation plunges into March Madness 2014, betting on who will make it to the Final Four and claim college basketball’s championship, we're offering some historical perspective on college sports. Why do sports programs even exist at colleges and universities? In this episode, the American History Guys unpack the origins of college sports and the ways universities originally justified athletics on campus. Peter, Ed, and Brian take us to Amherst College in the 19th century, where the first collegiate PHYS ED program blossomed. They also recount a little-known story about the integration of the University of Alabama’s football team. And as for questions about paying student athletes—it turns out that this particular debate goes back a lot further than you might guess. For more on the guests and stories featured in this episode, and for an array of resources exploring the history of college sports, check out BackStory's website: http://backstoryradio.org/?p=12516
