Final answer:
The claim about athletics at the college level starting with a crew race between Harvard and Yale in 1852 is true. This marked the beginning of collegiate athletics, which expanded significantly in later decades with sports such as college football and basketball, and saw the prominence of legendary sports figures and the rise of professional sports.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that athletics started at the college level with a crew race between Harvard and Yale in 1852 is true. This event marked the beginning of collegiate sports competitions in the United States. However, the expansion and popularity of college sports would become more evident in later years with sports such as football, which began in the 1870s with informal student club matches with ever-changing rules. By the 1890s, college football was a widely discussed topic, and certain games, such as the first Rose Bowl in 1902 where Michigan defeated Stanford, highlighted the sport's progress and appeal. The rise of other sports like basketball in 1891, concocted by James Naismith, also contributed to the evolving athletic culture in colleges.
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, college sports gained significance along with the emergence of professional teams and leagues. They grew from local contests into significant businesses and served as a platform for diversity and competition against racial and gender biases. This era's sports landscape was dynamic with iconic figures like Babe Ruth participating in barnstorming tours and women's athletic competitions thriving before facing societal pushback in the 1920s.