In 1906, an earthquake rocked San Francisco, Theodore Roosevelt was president and the first Victrola was manufactured.

Milk was 28 cents a gallon; so was gasoline. The New York Times cost one penny.

And the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League was founded.

Most don't know it by its full, formal name; WPIAL will suffice. And. like the price of milk and gas, a lot has changed for the league in the last 100 years.

When it was formed, mostly to set some eligibility rules for high school players, it was vilified by the public. Now, it is widely revered.

From Albert Gallatin to Yough, it covers most of the western side of the state, is 140 schools strong and is still growing.

"This league has evolved into the biggest and best athletic league in the country," said WPIAL executive director Tim O'Malley.

Over the past century, the WPIAL has seen some peculiar historical moments, particularly where football is concerned:

• A semifinal playoff game was decided by total yardage.

• Gardner Points determined many of the champions in the 1920s.

• A flu bug wiped out an entire postseason.

• Syracuse University alumni picked some champions.

These days, things like that seem preposterous, but in the early days of WPIAL football, they were more the norm.

The first WPIAL football champion was Wilkinsburg in 1914. Now there are champions crowned each year in four different classes.

Every championship game since 1986 has been played at the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"We are a product of Western Pennsylvania," O'Malley said. "The Rooneys have allowed us to use their home field. Our ability to make a day of it is part of what makes it special."

In many ways, teams get a bigger kick out of playing in the WPIAL title game than the state championship game.

"When you play a championship game at Heinz Field, it's a tremendous atmosphere," said Dan Cardone, North Hills director of athletics and chairman of the WPIAL 100-year celebration committee. "It's not the same kind of atmosphere at Hershey."

The WPIAL will have a kickoff celebration this week to start a yearlong 100-year celebration.

Each football team will wear a decal on their helmets signifying the anniversary.

Schools also will receive banners and posters to hang in their football stadiums and gymnasiums.

Throughout the season, standout former WPIAL athletes will be recognized at various events.

"There are Wimbledon champions, Olympic gold medalists, Super Bowl champions who got their start in the WPIAL," Cardone said. "It's a way for people to get out and look at the history of the league. We're using the kickoff celebration as an impetus for the rest of the year."

While football is a huge part of the WPIAL, Cardone doesn't want the focus to be entirely on the gridiron.

The WPIAL has made a conscious effort to try to highlight all the sports under its umbrella.

"The football aspect is very important, but we want to pay attention to the other sports," Cardone said. "The growth of female sports has been the story of the WPIAL in the last 15 years."