Since 1957, Wanamaker Ticket Office has earned a reputation for developing lasting relationships with our customers by providing premium event seating at fair prices while offering exceptional customer service.

As a nationwide ticket provider, we accommodate requests of all sizes from individual to family packages as well as community group sales or corporate needs.

Located in the heart of Center City in the Centre Square Building. We're on the street level at the corner of 16th and Market. We're open Monday through Friday from 8-6 and Saturday and Sunday from 9-4. We can be reached locally at 215-568-2400, or toll free at 1-866-WANA-TIX.

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The History of Football

The history of American football can be traced to early versions of rugby football. Both games have their origin in varieties of football played in the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century, in which a ball is kicked at a goal and/or run over a line.

American football resulted from several major divergences from rugby, most notably the rule changes instituted by Walter Camp, considered the "Father of American Football". Among these important changes were the introduction of the line of scrimmage and of down-and-distance rules. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, gameplay developments by college coaches such as Knute Rockne, and Glenn "Pop" Warner helped take advantage of the newly introduced forward pass. The popularity of collegiate football grew as it became the dominant version of the sport for the first half of the twentieth century. Bowl games, a college football tradition, attracted a national audience for collegiate teams. Bolstered by fierce rivalries, college football still holds widespread appeal in the US.

The origin of professional football can be traced back to 1892, with William "Pudge" Heffelfinger's $500 contract to play in a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. In 1920, the American Professional Football Association was formed. The first game was played in Dayton, Ohio on October 3rd, 1920 with the host Triangles defeating the Columbus Panhandles 14-0. The league changed its name to the National Football League (NFL) two years later, and eventually became the major league of American football. A rival league, the American Football League (AFL), began play in 1960; the pressure it put on the NFL led to a merger between the two leagues in 1970 to become today's NFL.