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The Ivy League is considering a proposal to allow the Ancient Eight’s football teams to play in the Football Championship Subdivision postseason, according to Harvard Athletic Director Erin McDermott.
The proposal, which comes from the Ivy League Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, would need final approval from all of the Ivy League presidents and put an end to a ban on Ivy League football teams in the playoffs that has stood since 1945.
Approval would allow Ivy teams to compete for a national title in the FCS, the second-highest level of college football.
In an October interview with The Crimson, McDermott said there “was some talk” regarding the proposal within the Ivy League.
“We’ll see,” McDermott said.
Ultimately, the final decision would be made by the Ivy League presidents — though it would also need the approval of the athletic directors, including McDermott.
“That’s really up to President Garber, so we haven’t had that conversation yet,” McDermott said.
McDermott has consistently emphasized the academic priorities of Ivy League sports — often discussing Harvard Athletics as a “40-year decision versus a four-year decision.” However, she said, it is a “bonus” when teams do make it to playoffs, particularly because there is no need to “sacrifice your academic experience.”
“It’s not that we are against winning National Champions, for sure,” McDermott said. “We’ve had them. It’s amazing.”
Sam K. Bjarnason ’25, a member of the Ivy League SAAC that initiated the proposal, shared that proposals predominantly originate from coach suggestions, but can also be brought by individual committees. Proposals then work through a three-stage process.
“It starts with the athletic directors, and then it moves to a policy committee, and then it goes to the university presidents,” Bjarnason said. “It has to gain approval at each of those three stages.”
The current proposal has not yet made it to the university presidents stage, according to a person familiar with the process.
The Ivy League did not respond to a request for comment on the proposal.
Bjarnason said he is aware of the proposal, but it originated in the Ivy SAAC before he joined as a representative.
In 1945, the Ivy League presidents signed the Ivy Group Agreement, which prohibited postseason play, alongside athletic scholarships and extended absences to play in games.
At the time, the rules only applied to football — though they were expanded to all sports in 1954. Still, all other teams at Harvard are eligible for postseason play — including basketball, which can participate in March Madness.
Through the years, academic concerns and preserving tradition have both been cited as reasons to keep Ivy League football out of the playoffs.
Additional games in the football season would come after Thanksgiving — bleeding into reading period and potentially causing an academic burden for players.
The tradition of The Game — the much-anticipated faceoff between Harvard and Yale — could also be affected as the rivalry matchup always comes as the season’s last game.
Despite these drawbacks, fifth-year quarterback and team captain of Brown’s football team Jake Willcox said he’d support the proposal, and expressed skepticism that an extended season could impact athletes’ academic schedule.
“A few more weeks of football isn’t really going to affect anyone, especially the way that the athletes, student athletes in this league, know how to work.”
Harvard Football Head Coach Andrew Aurich also said he would be in favor of having a football postseason.
“Absolutely,” Aurich said. “If they have opportunity to play for a national championship, I think they would love to do it. And I would love to coach them in that.”
Willcox noted that the top two Ivy League teams are usually ranked in the top 25 nationally. In the final FCS poll of 2023, Harvard received six top-25 votes. Undefeated Dartmouth is currently ranked the 22nd best FCS team nationally.
“This league can play at a really high level,” Willcox said. “I think it’s something that can be shown on a national level.”
—Staff writer Jo B. Lemann can be reached at jo.lemann@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @Jo_Lemann.
—Staff writer Tyler J.H. Ory can be reached at tyler.ory@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @tyler_ory.
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