本文旨在重回美國大學「身體教育」與「競技運動」連結的歷史脈絡，對兩者之連結源起做一歷史研究進路考察，以釐清兩者連結的初始情形。從考察中發現，十九世紀末美國身體教育由體操主導，各體操系統間曾相互論戰，當時已完成標準化的各式運動則藉由校際競賽在大學蓬勃發展，但尚未被包含於大學身體教育當中，兩者係平行於大學中個別發展。1920年代，美國身體教育受新式教育思潮影響，吸納自然的身體活動，形成「新體育」。此時，大學面臨大環境不穩定，及本身的快速擴張，競技運動被當作滿足招生及募集資金需求的手段，加上現代奧運的舉辦和思潮的推波助瀾，於是在「競技運動是教育的」口號之下，競技運動被吸納入大學的身體教育中，並與健康教育、休閒、舞蹈及其他要素包裹在一起，被置放於融合多樣元素的體育相關系所中。歸納美國大學身體教育與競技運動連結的驅力有：身體活動領域本身的擴張、大學校際運動競賽的正當化和教育化，以及體育相關系所在求生存時對資源的熱切需求等。而這些驅力則植基於被當時人們視爲解決美國都市化和工業化後衍生之社會問題的解決之道—新式教育思潮中。

The purpose of the study was to retrace the track of development of physical education (PE) in United States colleges, and to probe the articulation of PE and athletics in colleges. The study used historical research method to retrace and analyze the articulation between PE and athletics in U.S. Colleges. In late 19th century the gymnastics dominated the PE, and the ranging controversy among systems of gymnastics became known as the Battle of the Systems. At the same time, the standardized sports boomed in colleges by intercollegiate competition. PE and athletics developed in parallel. By 1920s, the New Physical Education was influenced by the new education thought, and was formed in US. The new physical activity field expanded its content that included gymnastics and natural physical activities. Colleges needed some way to recruit students and raise money, and they utilized the intercollegiate athletics by legalizing it as educational in the campus. By the time, the sought and games of Olympics also enhanced further the control and management of athletics in the of authority American colleges. Finally, the PE became a synthetic department by connecting several elements: PE, athletics, heath education, hygiene, and leisure. After above probe and analysis, the major drive power of the articulation between PE and athletics in American colleges were the expansion of New Physical Education, the legalizing of intercollegiate athletics in colleges, and the survival of the PE Department in college. The drive power was found by the new education thought in US, when America people thought new education thought and reform were the solutions of the social problems derived by urbanization and industrialization.