No clear champion is determined in the 1901 season, withMichigan andHarvard being declared retroactive champions by theNCAA. NCAA record books also claim thatYale was chosen byParke H. Davis as the champion of the season.
TheAmerican League repudiates its minor status and competes with theNational League as a second major league. The AL abandons four western cities for Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston. It signs about 30 prominent NL players before the season begins.
TheNational League violates its constitution in the summer and there will be no major-minor agreement until the1903 season.
December – numerous minor leagues establish their own National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, commonly calledMinor League Baseball (1902 to date).
The vacantWorld Bantamweight Championship is claimed first byHarry Harris, who fails to defend it and increases his weight, so making himself ineligible. The title is then awarded toHarry Forbes following his second-round knockout of Danny Dougherty
TheORFU begins to enforce amateurism more strictly by making players sign amateur cards.
TheBurnside Rules, named after John Thrift Meldrum Burnside, are a revised ruleset that begin to be used in theUniversity of Toronto inter-faculty matches.
The Paris–Berlin Trail is run on 27–29 June over 1105 km and won byHenri Fournier (France) driving aMors in a time of 15:33:06. The race is in retrospect sometimes referred to as theVI Grand Prix de l'ACF.[7]
Paris–Bordeaux Trail
The Paris–Bordeaux Trail is run on 29 May over 527.1 km and won byHenri Fournier (France) driving aMors in a time of 6:10:44. The race incorporates the Gordon Bennett Cup (see below).[7]
Gordon Bennett Cup
The secondGordon Bennett Cup is run from Paris to Bordeaux in conjunction with the Paris–Bordeaux Trail (see above) and won by Léonce Girardot (France) driving aPanhard-Levassor.
Circuit du Sud-Ouest
TheCircuit du Sud-Ouest was run in Pau. Someanglophone sources wrongly call it the 'Pau Grand Prix'. This may stem from a mistranslation of the contemporary French sources such as the magazineLa France Auto of March 1901.[8] It was run in four classes around the streets of Pau. TheGrand Prix du Palais d’Hiver was the name of the prizes awarded for the lesser classes ('Light cars' and 'Voiturettes'). TheGrand Prix de Pau was the name of the prize awarded for the 'Heavy' (fastest) class. ThusMaurice Farman was awarded the 'Grand Prix de Pau' for his overall victory in theCircuit du Sud-Ouest driving aPanhard 24 hp. Additionally theGrand Prix du Palais d’Hiver (400 à 650 kg 'Light car' class) was awarded toHenri Farman (Darracq); the secondGrand Prix du Palais d’Hiver for the under 400 kgVoiturettesclass was awarded toLouis Renault (Renault); thePrix du Béarn was awarded to Osmont in a 'De Dion' tricycle.[9]
United States walkover
British Isles