Football

Ivy League Football Kicks Off Its 2025 Season This Weekend

PRINCETON, N.J. – One of the most anticipated seasons in Ivy League football history begins this weekend with Columbia facing Lafayette on Friday evening, followed by a seven-game slate on Saturday.
 
 
For the first time, Ivy League teams will be competing for a spot in the FCS playoffs.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
TIME MATCHUP COVERAGE
6 p.m. Columbia at Lafayette ESPN+ | Stats

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
TIME MATCHUP COVERAGE
12 p.m. San Diego at Princeton ESPN+ | Stats
12 p.m. Georgetown at Brown ESPN+ | Stats
12 p.m. Holy Cross at Yale ESPN+ | Stats
1 p.m. #23 New Hampshire at Dartmouth ESPN+ | Stats
1 p.m. Penn at Stonehill NEC Front Row | Stats
1 p.m. Harvard at Stetson ESPN+ | Stats
7 p.m. Cornell at Albany FloSports | Stats

QUICK HITS
  • The Ivy League will begin competing in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs this season. The decision 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 Ivies have thrived in season openers, posting a winning percentage of .500 or better in 13 of the last 14 years. Over that stretch, the league is 71-41 (.634) in Week 1.
  • Last season, Ivy teams went 16-8 in non-league play, the 12th time in the past 14 years they’ve finished .500 or better. Since 2017, the Ivies hold a 119-49 (.708) non-league record.
  • Each of the past two seasons has ended with three Ivy League champions—something that has happened just six times overall (1966, 1969, 1982, 2015, 2023, 2024). Over the last eight years, six different programs have claimed at least one Ivy title.
  • Seven 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 seven 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: Craig (No. 10), Richardson (No. 9), and Corbo (No. 5).
  • 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).