Harvard–Yale football rivalry

The origins of the game can be traced back to Harvard's triumph over Yale in 1875. Following the "Springfield Massacre," in which seven players were carried off the field in "dying condition," Harvard and Yale severed ties in 1894. Each accused the other of being to fault for the competition's extraordinary savagery. For two football seasons, the schools avoided each other, while the baseball, crew, and track and field teams avoided each other for one. The appeal of competition, however, was too strong to resist, and by 1897, the schools were back in action.

By 1898, the football game had settled into its now-familiar and permanent spot as the final game on each team's schedule. Harvard is 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the Ivy League heading into this year's game, while Yale is 5-4 and 3-3.

In 2021, Harvard and Yale clashed for the 137th time in The Game's history. In a thrilling comeback, Harvard upset Yale 34-31. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, have a 68-61-8 head-to-head advantage in the series.

However, there's more to this rivalry than victories and losses, as the series has a long history. A few noteworthy historical people that have attended The Game include:

Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, both presidents of the United States, were among the throng who witnessed Harvard's 36-0 victory.

Babe Ruth, the greatest baseball player of all time, and a Crimson supporter watch Yale defeat Harvard 13-0 in 1932.

President of the United States Gerald Ford served as an assistant coach for Yale, who won 14-7.

1955: U.S. President John F. Kennedy (then a senator) watched his brother Ted Kennedy play for the Crimson and score a touchdown. Yale won by a score of 21-7.

The first game is played in 1875.

In 1875, the first Harvard-Yale football game took place in New Haven, Connecticut. The schools competed in a game that was a hybrid of rugby and soccer, with 15 players on each team. The first meeting was won by Harvard 4-0.

"Harvard defeats Yale 29-29" in 1968.

Yale had a 16-game winning run coming into The Game. In 1968, the Bulldogs led Harvard 29-13 with two minutes remaining after leading 22-0 at one point. In the last 42 seconds, though, two Harvard touchdowns and two Harvard two-point conversions knotted the game.

Here are six moments chronicling Harvard and Yale's decorated pasts.

After the game, the Harvard school newspaper, The Crimson, declared a Harvard victory with the headline "Harvard beats Yale 29-29". The remarkable comeback has gone down as one of the best in history.

Fitzmagic is undeterred by pranks in 2004.

In the Harvard-Yale rivalry, pranks are common, and the biggest prank may have occurred in 2004. Yale students Michael Kai and David Aulicino disguised as the Harvard Pep Squad, throwing out red and white construction paper to Harvard fans in the hopes that when raised into the air, they would spell out "Go Harvard." However, Kai and Aulicino distributed the paper to the Harvard audience to spell out "We Suck." The prank was a hit and garnered national notoriety, with appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, MSNBC, and other shows.

The prank, unfortunately for Yale supporters, would be the highlight of their day. On the field, Harvard won 35-3 behind quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Triple OT in 2005

The ancient rivalry saw the first triple-overtime game in Ivy League history in 2005. After Yale took a 21-3 third-quarter lead, Harvard rallied to force OT with a fourth-quarter interception return for a touchdown. RB Clifton Dawson scored the game-winning touchdown after the teams went scoreless in the first two overtimes.

The Game lasted about four hours in total. If the game had gone on much longer, the Crimson and Bulldogs would have had to play in the dark since the Yale Bowl lacked lighting.

College GameDay at The Game, 2014

College GameDay visited Boston in 2014 for The Game. It was College GameDay's first appearance at both Harvard and The Game.

College GameDay at The Game, 2014

College GameDay visited Boston in 2014 for The Game. It was College GameDay's first appearance at both Harvard and The Game, and it was only the second time the show has covered an Ivy League game. For those who are curious, Lee Corso chose Yale and wore the Bulldog hat.

Fenway Park, Fenway Park, Fenway Park, Fenway Park, F

For the first time since 1894, The Game was played at Fenway Park, a neutral venue. The 50th anniversary of the 1968 tie was held at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. The Game was a slam dunk, with the biggest aggregate scoring output in the game's history. The Crimson pulled away late in the game, winning 45-27.