<P> Due to the intensification of the college football playoff debate after nearly a decade of the sometimes disputable results of the BCS, the conference commissioners and Notre Dame's president voted to implement a Plus - One system which was to be called the' College Football Playoff' . The College Football Playoff is the annual postseason tournament for the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and just as its predecessors, has failed to receive sanctioning from the NCAA . The playoff began with the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season . Four teams play in two semifinal games, and the winners advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship game . The first season of the new system was not without controversy, however, after TCU and Baylor (both with only one loss) both failed to receive the support of the College Football Playoff selection committee . </P> <P> In the early 20th century, football began to catch on in the general population of the United States and was the subject of intense competition and rivalry, albeit of a localized nature . Although payments to players were considered unsporting and dishonorable at the time, a Pittsburgh area club, the Allegheny Athletic Association, of the unofficial western Pennsylvania football circuit, surreptitiously hired former Yale All - American guard William "Pudge" Heffelfinger . On November 12, 1892, Heffelfinger became the first known professional football player . He was paid $500 to play in a game against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . Heffelfinger picked up a Pittsburgh fumble and ran 35 yards for a touchdown, winning the game 4--0 for Allegheny . Although observers held suspicions, the payment remained a secret for years . </P> <P> On September 3, 1895 the first wholly professional game was played, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, between the Latrobe Athletic Association and the Jeannette Athletic Club . Latrobe won the contest 12--0 . During this game, Latrobe's quarterback, John Brallier became the first player to openly admit to being paid to play football . He was paid $10 plus expenses to play . In 1897, the Latrobe Athletic Association paid all of its players for the whole season, becoming the first fully professional football team . In 1898, William Chase Temple took over the team payments for the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club, a professional football team based in Pittsburgh from 1895 until 1900, becoming the first known individual football club owner . Later that year, the Morgan Athletic Club, on the South Side of Chicago, was founded . This team later became the Chicago Cardinals, then the St. Louis Cardinals and now is known as the Arizona Cardinals, making them the oldest continuously operating professional football team . </P> <P> The first known professional football league, known as the National Football League (not the same as the modern league) began play in 1902 when several baseball clubs formed football teams to play in the league, including the Philadelphia Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies . The Pirates' team the Pittsburgh Stars were awarded the league championship . However, the Philadelphia Football Athletics and Philadelphia Football Phillies also claimed the title . A five - team tournament, known as the World Series of Football was organized by Tom O'Rouke, the manager of Madison Square Garden . The event featured the first - ever indoor pro football games . The first professional indoor game came on December 29, 1902, when the Syracuse Athletic Club defeated the "New York team" 5--0 . Syracuse would go on to win the 1902 Series, while the Franklin Athletic Club won the Series in 1903 . The World Series only lasted two seasons . </P>

Where was the first professional football game played