Harvard–Princeton football rivalry

American college football rivalry

Harvard–Princeton football rivalry
Statistics
Harvard Crimson Princeton Tigers
First meeting	April 28, 1877 Harvard, 1–0
Latest meeting	October 26, 2024 Harvard, 45–13
Next meeting	October 25, 2025
Meetings total	116
All-time series	Princeton leads 60–49–7
Largest victory	Harvard, 49–7 (2014)
Longest win streak	Harvard, 9 (1996–2004)
Current win streak	Harvard, 1 (2024–present)

100km
62miles

Harvard

Princeton Locations of Harvard and Princeton

The Harvard–Princeton football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Harvard Crimson football team of Harvard University and the Princeton Tigers football team of Princeton University. Princeton leads the series 60–49–7.

Significance

The football rivalry is constituent to the Big Three academic, athletic and social rivalry among alumni and students associated with Harvard, Yale and Princeton universities.

Agreements among the athletics departments in 1906, 1916, the "Three Presidents Agreement" on eligibility, and a revision of that Agreement in 1923 have been considered precursors to the Ivy Group Agreement creating the Ivy League, each agreement addressing amateurism and college football.

Twenty eight different teams, 17 representing Harvard and 11 representing Princeton, have shared or won outright the Ivy League football title.

Bad blood has flowed between the two football programs. Princeton, for example, turned down Harvard's offer of a Thanksgiving Day contest in 1892, with Harvard refusing to play Princeton that season.

The 1920s was a nadir for athletic relations between the institutions.

Harvard and Princeton ceased the football series for nearly a decade, 1926 – 1934, in part because of an over the top Harvard Lampoon spoof issue of The Harvard Crimson distributed during the 1926 contest that announced the death of Princeton's head coach, Bill Roper, a man who had a history of serious illness. Roper, who coached Princeton's Team of Destiny, is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. William J. Bingham, a Harvard alumnus and athletics administrator, decided Harvard football could not guarantee to play any football program save Yale. That Harvard wanted to play a national schedule was the declared reason for the change.

Notable games

1926

Princeton shut out Harvard, 12–0, then shunned Harvard for eight football seasons; then Princeton shut out Harvard, 19–0, in 1934. Thereafter, save the World War II years, the two programs have met annually.

1950

The 1950 Princeton Tigers football team, coached by former Princeton player Charley Caldwell, claimed a national title. The undefeated, untied team embarrassed Harvard, 63–26, at Palmer Stadium en route to a HYP and other championships.

1951

The 1951 Princeton football team crushed the Crimson, 54–13 in Boston.

1967

Ellis Moore ran for five touchdowns versus Harvard. Moore's effort is the 20th-century Princeton record for rushing touchdowns in a game. Princeton won, 45–6. Moore rushed for three touchdowns versus Harvard two seasons later.

2012

Quinn Epperly tossed, with 0:13 remaining in the game, a 36-yard touchdown to Roman Wilson to take the lead and win eventually, 39–34, at Princeton Stadium. Harvard led, 34–10, early in the fourth quarter. Wilson caught five passes.

2016

"Princeton certainly didn't deserve to lose the game," Harvard's Tim Murphy said, a sentiment shared at least by Princeton partisans, after Harvard's 23 – 20 win at Princeton University Stadium. Joe Viviano, Harvard quarterback, scored from the one on second down after Princeton settled for a field goal in overtime. Harvard's Luke Hutton defended successfully a pass play at the one yard line during Princeton's overtime possession.

Princeton shares League title with Penn after Yale defeats Harvard later in the season, denying Harvard a fourth-straight outright or shared League title.

Game results

Harvard victories

Princeton victories

Tie games

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
1	April 28, 1877	Boston, MA	Harvard	1–0
2	November 3, 1877	St. George's CC	Princeton	1–0
3	November 16, 1878	Boston, MA	Princeton	1–0
4	November 15, 1879	St. George's CC	Princeton	1–0
5	November 13, 1880	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	1–0
6	November 19, 1881	Princeton, NJ	Tie	0–0
7	November 18, 1882	Cambridge, MA	Harvard	1–0
8	November 17, 1883	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	26–7
9	November 19, 1884	Cambridge, MA	Princeton	36–6
10	November 13, 1886	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	12–0
11	November 12, 1887	Cambridge, MA	Harvard	12–0
12	November 17, 1888	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	18–6
13	November 16, 1889	Cambridge, MA	Princeton	41–15
14	November 2, 1895	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	12–4
15	November 7, 1896	Allston, MA	Princeton	12–0
16	November 4, 1911	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	8–6
17	November 2, 1912	Allston, MA	Harvard	16–6
18	November 8, 1913	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	3–0
19	November 7, 1914	Allston, MA	Harvard	20–0
20	November 6, 1915	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	10–6
21	November 11, 1916	Allston, MA	Harvard	3–0
22	November 8, 1919	Princeton, NJ	Tie	10–10
23	November 6, 1920	Allston, MA	Tie	14–14
24	November 5, 1921	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	10–3
25	November 11, 1922	Allston, MA	Princeton	10–3
26	November 10, 1923	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	5–0
27	November 8, 1924	Allston, MA	Princeton	34–0
28	November 7, 1925	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	36–0
29	November 6, 1926	Allston, MA	Princeton	12–0
30	November 3, 1934	Allston, MA	Princeton	19–0
31	November 9, 1935	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	35–0
32	October 31, 1936	Allston, MA	Tie	14–14
33	October 30, 1937	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	34–6
34	October 29, 1938	Allston, MA	Harvard	26–7
35	November 4, 1939	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	9–6
36	November 2, 1940	Allston, MA	Tie	0–0
37	November 1, 1941	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	6–4
38	October 31, 1942	Allston, MA	Harvard	19–14
39	October 12, 1946	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	13–12
40	November 8, 1947	Allston, MA	Princeton	33–7
41	November 6, 1948	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	47–7
42	November 5, 1949	Allston, MA	Princeton	33–13
43	November 11, 1950	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	63–26
44	November 10, 1951	Allston, MA	Princeton	54–13
45	November 8, 1952	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	41–21
46	November 7, 1953	Allston, MA	Princeton	6–0
47	November 6, 1954	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	14–9
48	November 5, 1955	Allston, MA	Harvard	7–6
49	November 10, 1956	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	35–20
50	November 9, 1957	Allston, MA	Princeton	28–20
51	November 8, 1958	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	16–14
52	November 7, 1959	Allston, MA	Harvard	14–0
53	November 5, 1960	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	14–12
54	November 11, 1961	Allston, MA	Harvard	9–7
55	November 10, 1962	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	20–0
56	November 9, 1963	Allston, MA	Harvard	21–7
57	November 7, 1964	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	16–0
58	November 6, 1965	Allston, MA	Princeton	14–6
59	November 5, 1966	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	18–14

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
60	November 11, 1967	Allston, MA	Princeton	45–6
61	November 9, 1968	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	9–7
62	November 8, 1969	Allston, MA	Princeton	51–20
63	November 7, 1970	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	29–7
64	November 6, 1971	Allston, MA	Princeton	21–10
65	November 11, 1972	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	10–7
66	November 10, 1973	Allston, MA	Harvard	19–14
67	November 9, 1974	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	34–17
68	November 8, 1975	Allston, MA	Princeton	24–20
69	October 23, 1976	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	20–14
70	October 22, 1977	Allston, MA	Princeton	20–7
71	October 28, 1978	Princeton, NJ	Tie	24–24
72	October 27, 1979	Allston, MA	Princeton	9–7
73	October 25, 1980	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	7–3
74	October 24, 1981	Allston, MA	Tie	17–17
75	October 23, 1982	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	27–15
76	October 22, 1983	Allston, MA	Harvard	28–26
77	October 27, 1984	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	17–15
78	October 26, 1985	Allston, MA	Princeton	11–6
79	October 25, 1986	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	14–3
80	October 24, 1987	Allston, MA	Harvard	24–19
81	October 22, 1988	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	23–8
82	October 28, 1989	Allston, MA	Princeton	28–14
83	October 20, 1990	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	23–20
84	October 26, 1991	Allston, MA	Harvard	24–21
85	October 24, 1992	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	21–6
86	October 23, 1993	Allston, MA	Princeton	21–10
87	October 22, 1994	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	18–7
88	October 21, 1995	Allston, MA	Princeton	14–3
89	October 26, 1996	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	24–0
90	October 25, 1997	Allston, MA	Harvard	14–12
91	October 24, 1998	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	23–22
92	October 23, 1999	Allston, MA	Harvard	13–6
93	October 21, 2000	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	35–21
94	October 20, 2001	Allston, MA	Harvard	28–26
95	October 26, 2002	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	24–17
96	October 25, 2003	Allston, MA	Harvard	43–40
97	October 23, 2004	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	39–14
98	October 22, 2005	Allston, MA	Princeton	27–24
99	October 21, 2006	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	34–31
100	October 20, 2007	Allston, MA	Harvard	27–10
101	October 25, 2008	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	24–20
102	October 24, 2009	Allston, MA	Harvard	37–3
103	October 23, 2010	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	45–28
104	October 22, 2011	Allston, MA	Harvard	56–39
105	October 20, 2012	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	39–34
106	October 26, 2013	Allston, MA	Princeton	51–48
107	October 25, 2014	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	49–7
108	October 24, 2015	Allston, MA	Harvard	42–7
109	October 22, 2016	Princeton, NJ	Harvard	23–20
110	October 20, 2017	Allston, MA	Princeton	52–17
111	October 20, 2018	Allston, MA	Princeton	29–21
112	October 26, 2019	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	30–24
113	October 23, 2021	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	18–16
114	October 21, 2022	Allston, MA	Princeton	37–10
115	October 21, 2023	Princeton, NJ	Princeton	21–14
116	October 26, 2024	Allston, MA	Harvard	45–14
Series: Princeton leads 60–49–7

References

"Harvard—Princeton Rivalry".
"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
The Harvard Crimson, Princeton: A Second-Class Power? Was treated as Such the Roaring Twenties, November 10, 1961, by line James R. Ullyot
The "Big Three" and the Harvard-Princeton Football Break, 1926 – 1934, by Marcia G. Synott, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, Journal of Sport History, University of Illinois Press, pg. 188
princeton.edu/mudd/2014/11/a-princeton-thanksgiving
Princeton Football, Arcadia Press, Mount Pleasant, SC, by Mark F. Bernstein, 2009, pg. 50
Harvard Crimson, Princeton A Second Class Power? Was Treated As Such the Roaring Twenties, November 10, 1961, by line James R. Ullyot
The Boston Globe, October 22, 2016, Harvard Princeton game story, by line Paul Franklin, Globe Correspondent

v t e Harvard Crimson football
Venues	Boston Baseball Grounds (1877–1881) Holmes Field (1881–1882, 1888) Jarvis Field (1883–1893) Soldier's Field (1894–1903) Harvard Stadium (1903–present)
Bowls and rivalries	1920 Rose Bowl Dartmouth Penn Princeton Yale
Culture and lore	"Ten Thousand Men of Harvard" 1874 McGill game 1921 Centre game 1968 Yale game (Harvard Beats Yale 29–29) 2004 Harvard–Yale prank
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

v t e Princeton Tigers football
Venues	University Field (1876–1913) Palmer Stadium (1914–1996) Powers Field at Princeton Stadium (1998–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Legacy Bowl Harvard Penn Rutgers Yale
Culture & lore	First American football game (painting) 1922 Chicago game Poe brothers "Princeton Cannon Song" Winged football helmet
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

v t e Ivy League rivalries
Conference	Columbia–Cornell (football) Cornell–Dartmouth (football) Cornell–Harvard (hockey) Cornell–Penn (football) Cornell–Princeton (lacrosse) Dartmouth–Harvard (football) Harvard–Penn (football) Harvard–Princeton (football) Harvard–Yale (football) Harvard–Yale (ice hockey) Harvard–Yale (rowing) Harvard–Yale (soccer) Penn–Princeton (football) Penn–Princeton (men's basketball) Princeton–Yale (football)
Non-conference	Brown–Providence (hockey) Brown–Rhode Island Colgate–Cornell Liberty Cup (Columbia–Fordham) Cornell–Hobart (lacrosse) Cornell–Syracuse (lacrosse) Dartmouth–New Hampshire (overall) Dartmouth–New Hampshire (football) Battle of 33rd Street (Drexel–Penn) Beanpot (Boston College–Boston University–Harvard–Northeastern) Johns Hopkins–Princeton (lacrosse) Yank Townsend Trophy (Lehigh–Yale) Philadelphia Big 5 (Drexel–La Salle–Penn–Saint Joseph's–Temple–Villanova) Princeton–Rutgers Battle of Whitney Avenue (Quinnipiac–Yale) Connecticut Ice (Connecticut–Quinnipiac–Sacred Heart–Yale)

Ivy League rivalries

Conference

Non-conference

Brown–Providence (hockey)
Brown–Rhode Island
Colgate–Cornell
Liberty Cup (Columbia–Fordham)
Cornell–Hobart (lacrosse)
Cornell–Syracuse (lacrosse)
Dartmouth–New Hampshire (overall)
Dartmouth–New Hampshire (football)
Battle of 33rd Street (Drexel–Penn)
Beanpot (Boston College–Boston University–Harvard–Northeastern)
Johns Hopkins–Princeton (lacrosse)
Yank Townsend Trophy (Lehigh–Yale)
Philadelphia Big 5 (Drexel–La Salle–Penn–Saint Joseph's–Temple–Villanova)
Princeton–Rutgers
Battle of Whitney Avenue (Quinnipiac–Yale)
Connecticut Ice (Connecticut–Quinnipiac–Sacred Heart–Yale)

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