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Harvard-Yale: The 141st Game
Harvard and Yale will face off for the 141st time on Saturday — and with a playoff bid on the table and a chance for the Crimson to secure its first solo title in over a decade, the stakes have never been higher. The Crimson has assembled a slate of stories explaining everything you need to know about this historic matchup. Read below about the teams taking the field this weekend and the history and development of Harvard’s most beloved sporting event: The Game.
Position by Position: How the Crimson and the Bulldogs Stack Up
Understand the best attributes of each team with this position-by-position breakdown, highlighting the players’ strengths and weaknesses.
Stadiums of The Game: Historic Backdrops to the Harvard-Yale Rivalry
Over the years, the various stadiums that host The Game have extended beyond mere striking backdrops, instead playing a tremendous role in shaping and evolving modern football, all while inspiring the design of other iconic venues.
Katie Patton, the Engine That Runs Harvard Football
Katie Patton coordinates all the logistics for the Harvard Football team. Her work has been essential in helping spur the team to its current undefeated record.
The Signs of The Game
Signs may be present at every football game, but the ones at The Game are especially elaborate and storied. Whether it be telling their Bulldog rivals “Yuck Fale” or “safety school,” Harvard students are always eager to craft and display witty posters.
Pride in Puppies
In 1889, while Yale trounced Harvard in the 12th playing of The Game, a special guest sat on the sideline—the first ever live-collegiate mascot in the world, Handsome Dan. While Harvard proudly maintains superiority over Yale in many aspects, the one major shortcoming is Yale’s obvious dominance in the world of mascots, with the lovable bulldog Handsome Dan.
Harvard’s Impact on the Rules of Football: Four Rules that Altered the Game
Harvard established its football team in 1873, less than a decade after the Civil War. The sport was rugged, brutal, and, quite frankly, hazardous; given the aggressive nature, constant forceful hits, and strenuous activity, it was deemed dangerous but an exciting display of both athleticism and courage.
Alumni of The Game
As two historic institutions collide on the football field with unprecedented stakes, let’s take a look back at some of the alumni of The Game.
The Last Time Yale Won Four in a Row
Harvard seniors are staring down the alarming prospect of being the first Harvard graduating class this millennium to witness the Crimson lose to that school down south in each of their four years on campus.
One and a Half Centuries of The Game
November 13, 1875, marked the start of the 150-year rivalry between the Crimson and the Bulldogs. Although the first edition of “The Game” was originally a hybrid of rugby and soccer, the two schools met on a cold November day in New Haven to begin what is now a historic rivalry. Harvard was brought to the field by a $75 promise from Yale, and spectators flocked to watch the two teams for 50 cents a piece. The Crimson clutched the first victory 4-0, but another century's worth of games awaited the two teams.
The Structure and Rules of Football
The rules of football, broken down for the casual viewer.
Welcome to The Game!
One hundred fifty years ago, Harvard’s football team suited up in New Haven, Conn. to face Yale for the first time. From there, a tradition was born — one that has brought celebrations and heartbreak for generations of Crimson and Bulldogs fans, in games full of high stakes and with Ivy League Titles on the line. This year, though, both teams will be fighting for something more — a chance to make history by securing the first automatic bid for the FCS playoffs for an Ivy League team.
HYpefest Merch Giveaway
Harvard students gather in the Science Center Plaza for a merch giveaway and celebration HYpefest event in anticipation of the Harvard-Yale game.
Harvard Aims to Complete Perfect Regular Season, Clinch Playoff Spot
After nine consecutive weeks of action-packed Harvard football, we have finally reached the season finale — a matchup in New Haven against the Yale Bulldogs that will have more riding on it than any game this season, and potentially in the Crimson’s history.
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