Events

‘The Game’ returns to Cambridge after six-year hiatus

Harvard welcomes Yale for the 138th edition in one of college football's greatest rivalries.

By Dave D'Onofrio

1 minute to read

Extending a tradition that dates back to 1875, Harvard and Yale will meet for the 138th edition of “The Game” on Saturday, Nov. 19 — carrying forward college football’s second-oldest rivalry with a contest between two Ivy League looking to post a signature win to cap a successful campaign.

This will be the first time the tilt has been played at Harvard Stadium since 2016. The schools are supposed to alternate hosting duties every year, but when Harvard was slated as the home team in 2018 the game was moved to Fenway Park. In 2020, the contest was canceled because of COVID. Yale has been the host each of the last three times the clubs have competed on either campus, and the Bulldogs have also won three of the previous five contests after losing nine straight from 2007-2015.

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This year’s meeting projects as a competitive battle, as both teams entered November with 5-2 records, and both were 3-1 within the Ivy League. But, really, “The Game” is always about more than just the game.

The excitement builds for days beforehand, reaching a crescendo in the hours before the game as supporters gather in the parking lots for what is said to be a legendary tailgating experience. There’s a formal, ticketed tailgate party for Harvard alumni, and those who can’t be in Cambridge can still congregate at any of the dozens of viewing parties to be held in various locales across the country.

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Tickets to the game are sold out, but there are seats available on the secondary market for those willing to pay. Three weeks from kickoff, the cheapest ducats were going for around $150 each.

Oh, and there’s also a likelihood that those tickets may not only allow patrons to see the football talent at each school — but tradition suggests that at some point the campus pranksters will put on a show of their own, too.

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