Today's Tidbit... The First Plastic Helmets and 1940 Northwestern @ Syracuse

Those who designed, produced, and mailed the ticket brochure touting Syracuse's 1940 game with Northwestern had no idea the game would be a watershed moment in football equipment history. Syracuse opened their season the previous week, downing Clarkson 33-0, but the matchup was Northwestern's first, and that made all the difference.

1940 Syracuse football ticket brochure (Personal collection)

The brochure promoted the Northwestern game and the rest of Syracuse's eight-game schedule, which included two home games, a three-game road loop, and three more home games, all played without leaving the state.