Near the end of September each year, as the shopping period closes and the air becomes chillier,
Brown and Harvard students gather under bright lights to watch an Ivy League matchup: the
Harvard v. Brown football game. The match location switches between the two schools each year
and, to our delight and the MBTA’s, Brown is hosting the monumental game in Pawtucket.
Admittedly, Brown Football’s record against Harvard isn’t the greatest. Out of 124 games played
from October 28, 1893, to September 27, 2025, Brown has won 31 and tied two. In fact, most
Brown students recognize that our chances of winning against Harvard are significantly low.
Two years ago, on September 28, 2024, I heard that almost half of the Brown attendees had left
or were in the process of leaving the stadium when the Brown football team pulled off their
31-28 comeback victory.
From speaking to other students around campus, it appears that many aren’t even planning on
attending the actual game – a phenomenon that has happened for previous matchups as well.
Most students are opting to simply tailgate at the stadium and attend the afterparties hosted by
various student organizations across campus.
Last year, as a new student, I didn’t fully comprehend the reason behind everyone’s excitement
for the game. If our team historically doesn’t match up well with Harvard, and most people don’t
enjoy the actual football game, why would people be excited for Harvard v. Brown? After
talking to some people and thinking about my own relationship to sports, I think I found the
reason.
As most people know, Brown isn’t a sports-focused school, and attendance at regular-season
games is abysmal – though there has been some attempt to change that through new student
groups. Nevertheless, the average Brown student probably isn’t attending a Brown sports game,
unless it is Harvard v. Brown. For one day, Brown gains athletic school spirit akin to UMich or a
big state school. Students don Brown merchandise, take pictures with their friends, and carpool
to the stadium to be surrounded by other Brown students who did the same routine.
Arguably, whether someone chooses to only participate in tailgates or afterparties or decides to
stay for the entire game, Harvard v. Brown creates a sense of community and camaraderie for the
student population that isn’t rivaled by anything else. One can see and interact with friends, but
they can also interact with their TAs, classmates, and teammates. Even if someone isn’t close
with another person, there is a sense of familiarity and openness that isn’t present in other
situations. When surrounded by other Brown students under the stadium lights, everyone,
regardless of concentration or interests, feels like a collective unit.