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1875-1925: Finding its Footing

Nov. 13, 1875, marked the start of the 150-year rivalry between the Crimson and the Bulldogs. Although the first edition of The Game was 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 apiece. The Crimson clutched the first victory 4-0, but another century’s worth of games awaited the two teams.

The Game experienced growing pains in the first 50 years of its life. The rules of the game itself, football, were being revised and had to be agreed upon by the two teams before gameplay. The 1877 game was even canceled because of a dispute over how many players should be allowed on the line at one time. Yale championed a lighter line of 11, while Harvard was unable to play with anything less than 15.

At one point, the 26th U.S. president and avid Harvard football fan Theodore Roosevelt even intervened in the development of modern American football rules, helping to legalize the forward pass and limit mass plays, and supporting the creation of what became the NCAA to ensure the longevity of the sport.

The Game went on hiatus following the 1894 “bloodbath” game, where multiple players on both sides were hospitalized. As a result, the two schools refused to participate in the outing for the next two years. The 1917 and 1918 games were similarly not played, this time as a consequence of the ongoing world conflict.

It was also in these first 50 years that The Game was christened. In 1898, Harvard Football Captain A.F. Holden wrote that the fierce rivalry made “the Yale-Harvard game the game of the season.”

Despite these discontinuities, The Game managed to establish itself as a staple sporting event for the Northeast and continued its lifespan in spite of the adversity of its early years.

1925-1975: Spirit of The Game

It was in this 50-year period that the spirit of competition off the field was also fostered, with the iconic 1933 clandestine kidnapping of Handsome Dan, which made its way into the historical record with a picture of the bulldog licking John Harvard’s feet after their 19-6 defeat of Yale.

Also in development during The Game’s middle years was the creation of the Ivy League schools as we know them today, thanks to the 1945 Ivy Group agreement and the 1956 Ivy League conference.

In 1948, The Game faced external attacks from nearby neighbors when MIT students planted explosives under the turf of Harvard’s stadium. The explosives were discovered prior to any true damage, and Harvard held onto that year’s win.

The next decade of play saw more antics, like three pigs being released during the Yale band performance in 1955, as well as all three Kennedy brothers’ stints on the field. Ted Kennedy and Robert Kennedy both played in The Game, with John Kennedy on the junior varsity team.

The Game in 1967 saw the largest Ivy League crowd there ever was. Although the Crimson led the scoreboard with just three minutes remaining, quarterback Brian Dowling led the Bulldogs to an undefeated conference record.

The 1968 playing was met with yet another thrilling game as both teams came in undefeated. It appeared as though the Crimson would have to face consecutive losses. But a successful onside kick with just three seconds left, as well as an impressive two-point conversion, forced the Bulldogs to share the desired Ivy title with their archrival.

1975-2025: The Legacy Continues

By 1975, The Game was officially a centenarian. The Game, celebrating 100 years since the first two rivals came together, was accompanied by another milestone: Harvard’s first undisputed Ivy League title.

The Ivy League took further measures in 1982 to distinguish itself as it moved to the FCS, a subgroup of Division I, making it so that the schools would play amongst themselves, rarely playing other teams.

In the playing in 1982, Harvard's familiar neighbor, MIT, yet again pulled off a series of pranks. First, the Engineers put a talcum-filled balloon marking the 46-yard line in the middle of the game. Then, the Engineers band spelled out “MIT” on the field. And the cherry on top, cards being passed out to cheering Harvard students in the stands — which, when raised, predictably read “MIT.”

As a new millennium dawned, the Crimson exerted dominance, and 2001 marked Harvard’s first perfect season since Wilson’s presidency. This continued through the beginning of the 21st century as Harvard was able to clinch four Ivy League titles in just 10 years. College GameDay even made its way to Cambridge to watch the Crimson sweep its 16th Ivy title.

Although Yale faltered against the Crimson on the field in 2004, the team took it upon themselves to one-up the Crimson in pranks as they dressed up as the “Harvard Pep Squad” and passed out signs that ended up reading “WE SUCK”.

In 2019, Harvard-Yale was highest-scoring game in the history of the rivalry, with two overtime periods and the final score reading 50-43 in favor of the Bulldogs. Fossil fuel divestment protesters from both teams stormed the field during halftime, causing delays.

Then, 2020’s game was canceled due to the pandemic, but the rivalry soon continued with Harvard winning in 2021. Yale went on to garner the next three wins. The two teams are set to come face-to-face once again in New Haven on Nov. 22, for the 141st game on its 150th anniversary.

—Staff writer Bianca M. Egan can be reached at bianca.egan@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Tiffany Oh can be reached at tiffany.oh@thecrimson.com.