Abstract
This paper analyzes the history of college sports in Brazil between 1933, when the first student initiatives were taken to organize sports associations, and 1941, when these associations were taken over by the State. We consulted the digital collection of the National Library in Rio de Janeiro and found news related to the topic published in newspapers and magazines of several Brazilian states at the time. Despite the contribution of the State, civil associationism carried out by students themselves was one of the main factors for the early development of college sports in Brazil, at least until 1941, when the State took over student institutions that organized university sports.
Keywords:
History; Sports; Universities; Brazil