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Every fall, Harvard affiliates flock to the stands for one of our school’s most-celebrated customs: the annual Harvard-Yale Game. But next year, this tradition is going to get a little untraditional.

On Nov. 21, 2026, Harvard and Yale will face off for the 142nd iteration of The Game, surrounded not by the familiar U-shaped concrete of Harvard Stadium, but by the quirky, asymmetrical design of the famous Fenway Park. As a member of the Harvard Crimson Dance Team, I am looking forward to performing for a huge crowd at such a symbolic landmark. But I’ve seen others seem less than enthusiastic about the change, expressing concerns that Fenway will detract from the traditional experience of The Game and that the decision appears to be a cash grab.

But instead of seeing the move to Fenway as a betrayal, we should understand it as a chance to bring new life into a long-held tradition. This move is just the right choice to revamp The Game and imbue new energy into Harvard’s school spirit.

To be fair, concerns about the new location are not totally unfounded. The Game has been played at Fenway before, in 2018, and people had plenty of complaints back then, too. Specifically, students had issues with capacity and transportation, since Fenway is a much harder stadium to fill, and you can’t get there from campus on foot. For at least some students, Fenway was “the solution that no one needed.”

But what happened in 2018 shouldn’t doom the idea forever. The lessons learned from The Game’s last visit to Fenway offer a valuable chance for organizers to improve — for example, by providing better options for transportation and more student-led festivities, such as tailgates and rallies. And with a new generation of students eager for school spirit, 2026 offers a fresh chance to reimagine Harvard-Yale at Fenway, not as a gimmick, but as the ultimate demonstration of student pride.

Of course, Harvard Stadium will always be a valuable part of Harvard's sports culture and history. The Game has been played here countless times before, and nothing can ever take away from the years of memories made at our home stadium.

But let’s be real! Fenway Park isn’t just a baseball stadium — it’s an iconic piece of Boston history. Playing The Game here offers a setting unlike any other on-campus venue, making the tradition feel even grander, at a time when we need it more than ever.

It’s true that the large size of the stadium can pose a challenge when it comes to packing the stands, but this also presents a new opportunity. If thousands show up to Fenway, we can finally get a taste of what real school spirit looks and feels like. Such a refreshing and electric atmosphere could inspire a “new era” for Harvard spirit where pride in Harvard and enthusiasm for our community becomes an everyday norm rather than a once-a-year “obligation.”

But of course, this depends entirely on how students respond to the change. By having a good attitude and embracing the opportunity of having The Game at Fenway, we could create the experience of a lifetime and a core memory for many. But, if people maintain a bad attitude about the change — more than a year before The Game even takes place — and ultimately fail to show up, it will be impossible for the day to live up to its full potential.

This change isn’t the death of tradition — it’s tradition evolved. So, next fall, enter The Game at Fenway with an open mind and a lot of school spirit, and we might just make Harvard-Yale better than ever.

Kelli D. Higgins ’28, a Crimson Editorial Editor, lives in Eliot House.