PRINCETON, N.J. – Harvard and Yale are set to make the Ivy League’s historic debut in the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs on Saturday. Harvard will travel to No. 12 Villanova, while Yale heads to No. 15 Youngstown State. Both games kick off at noon on ESPN+.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29
| TIME |
GAME |
COVERAGE |
| 12 p.m. |
Harvard at No. 12 Villanova |
ESPN+ | Stats |
| 12 p.m. |
Yale at No. 15 Youngstown State |
ESPN+ | Stats |
QUICK HITS
- The decision to participate in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs was approved by the Ivy League Council of Presidents in December 2024, following a proposal from the league’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
- The Ivy League earned two bids, with Harvard receiving an at-large selection and Yale claiming the automatic qualifier. The Bulldogs defeated Harvard, 45–28, in the 141st playing of The Game last Saturday before a crowd of more than 50,000 at the Yale Bowl.
- Both programs appeared in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25, with Harvard at No. 15 and Yale at No. 24.
- The All-Ivy Football teams and major awards were unveiled Tuesday. Yale’s Josh Pitsenberger (Offensive Player of the Year) and Abu Kamara (Defensive Player of the Year) were the Asa S. Bushnell Cup recipients. Additional honors went to Penn’s Julien Stokes (Special Teams Player of the Year), Princeton’s Josh Robinson (Rookie of the Year) and the Yale staff (Coaching Staff of the Year).
- Ivies finished non-league play with a record of 16-8. Since 2017, the league has gone 135–57 (.703) in non-conference play. This marks the 13th time in 15 years they’ve finished .500 or better.
- Eight Ivies were represented on the Phil Steele Midseason All-America Team in nine different positions. First Team: Cornell TE Ryder Kurtz, Yale DB Abu Kamara, Penn PR Julien Stokes; Second Team: Penn WR Jared Richardson, Dartmouth TE Chris Corbo, Penn AP Julien Stokes; Fourth Team: Harvard QB Jaden Craig, Yale RB Josh Pitsenberger, Yale LB Inumidun Ayo-Durojaiye.
- Six Ivy players were named to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000: Dartmouth TE Chris Corbo, Harvard DB Ty Bartrum, Harvard QB Jaden Craig, Penn OL Netinho Olivieri, Penn WR Jared Richardson, and Yale RB Josh Pitsenberger. The league's six selections were the third-most among FCS conferences.
- Three Ivies were featured in FCS Football Central’s Preseason Top 10 FCS Prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft: Corbo (No. 5), Richardson (No. 9) and Craig (No. 10). The trio remained in the Top 10 in the outlet’s most recent update: Richardson (No. 3), Craig (No. 6) and Corbo (No. 8).
- Craig was also one of five FCS prospects – and the only FCS quarterback – named to the Panini Senior Bowl Top 300.
- Twenty-two former Ivy League standouts are currently on NFL rosters, with all eight schools represented.
- Three of the league’s head coaches were Ivy League football players: Brown’s James Perry (Brown, 1996-99), Harvard’s Andrew Aurich (Princeton, 2002-05) and Princeton’s Bob Surace (Princeton, 1987-89).
- The Ivy League was the only conference across all divisions to have a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy from each institution. Named after former Columbia football team captain and later head coach Bill Campbell, the award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
| WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS |
| Brown |
John Starman |
| Columbia |
Mark Chapman |
| Cornell |
James Reinbold |
| Dartmouth |
Delby Lemieux |
| Harvard |
Ryan Osborne |
| Penn |
Liam O'Brien |
| Princeton |
Justice Musser |
| Yale |
Mason Shipp |
- Eight Ivies were named finalists for Stats Perform National Major Awards: