champ n.1

"college grounds," 1774, from Latin campus "flat land, field," from Proto-Italic *kampo- "field," a word of uncertain origin. De Vaan finds cognates in Greek kampē "a bending, bow, curvature," etc., if the original sense of campus was "depression, curve" (see jamb), and concludes the source in PIE *kamp- "could well be a European substratum word from agricultural terminology." First used in college sense at Princeton.

early 13c., "doughty fighting man, valorous combatant," also (c. 1300) "one who fights on behalf of another or others, one who undertakes to defend a cause," from Old French champion "combatant, champion in single combat" (12c.), from Late Latin campionem (nominative campio) "gladiator, fighter, combatant in the field," from Latin campus "field (of combat);" see campus.

The word had been borrowed earlier by Old English as cempa. The sporting sense in reference to "first-place performer, one who has demonstrated superiority to all others in some matter decided by public contest or competition" is recorded from 1730.