A New Chapter for Harvard Football
Harvard’s football program capped the 2025 season with its third consecutive Ivy League championship, finishing 9‑2 and appearing in both final top‑25 polls. The Crimson will carry that momentum into 2026, when it confronts a slate of non‑conference foes that have each recently proven their mettle on the national stage.
Montana State enters the schedule as the 2026 NCAA FCS champion, having contested the last two title games, while UC Davis finished the 2025 campaign ranked No. 8 and reached the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs. Wofford, under head coach Shawn Watson, posted a sixth straight year of improvement and closed 2025 at 6‑6, and Richmond has earned playoff berths in three of the past four seasons, winning games on two of those trips.
Harvard will be led on the field by team captain Xaviah Bascon and four All‑America candidates, including standouts such as Andrew Aurich, Spencer Doan, Damien Henderson, Thomas O'Brien and Sean Line. The coaching staff, guided by veteran strategist Shawn Watson, aims to translate the program’s recent surge into deeper playoff runs.
The 2026 campaign opens on Sept. 19 at home against New Hampshire before the Crimson’s first home game on Oct. 3 versus Colgate. The schedule not only tests Harvard’s depth but also showcases a blend of tradition and ambition as the team looks to extend its Ivy dominance into the national playoff conversation.