In 1894, the University of Buffalo (UB) formed its first football team, which played its first game on November 24 of that year. The team was coached by Frank Butterworth, a former Harvard University football player, and consisted of mostly UB medical students. The team played their home games at a field located near Main Street and Fillmore Avenue in Buffalo, New York.

The team’s first game was against the Niagara Athletic Club, which was a semi-professional team, and UB won by a score of 24-0. The team went on to play a total of four games during the 1894 season, winning three and losing one. In addition to the Niagara Athletic Club, UB played games against the Buffalo YMCA, Canisius College, and the University of Rochester.

The 1894 UB football team had no official nickname at the time, and was simply referred to as the “University of Buffalo Football Team” in local newspapers. The team’s uniforms consisted of blue jerseys with a white “UB” on the chest, white pants, and black leather helmets.

The formation of the UB football team in 1894 marked the beginning of a long and storied tradition of football at the university, with the program eventually moving up to the NCAA Division I level and winning multiple conference championships.