The Ivy League made a huge move last season to get more onto the national FCS radar. The conference announced it would accept its FCS playoff auto-bid for the first time ever.
Not only did Yale represent the Ivy League as the 2025 champion, but the conference also earned an at-large bid, with Harvard making it in. Yale advanced to the second round after a legendary 43-42 comeback win at Youngstown State. The Bulldogs then battled eventual national champs Montana State tough before falling 21-13.
After experiencing the postseason for the first time, the next step for the Ivy League is to enhance its playoff resumes by scheduling tougher non-conference games. In the FCS, how deep you go in the bracket can be determined by what seed you get and how many games you host. And the seed you get is determined by your playoff resume.
What moves the needle the most for the playoff committee?
Strength of schedule and ranked wins.
This offseason, the playoff committee also made it known that playing at least 11 Division I opponents is crucial. Currently, the Ivy League only plays 10 regular-season games and has been more regional in its non-conference scheduling, resulting in a lack of ranked win opportunities. In February, the FCS Oversight Committee reviewed a recommendation from the FCS Championship Committee to update the at-large selection criteria policy to include prioritization of teams who competed against at least 11 Division I opponents. The FCSOC voted to amend the recommended policy language to allow the FCS Championship Committee to give more consideration to teams that have played all Division I opponents and/or a greater number of Division I opponents. Specifically, it approved the following language: “The committee will give more consideration to teams that have played all Division I opponents and/or a greater number of Division I games.”
Today, Harvard announced a strong list of future non-conference opponents, including two Top 10 FCS teams from the Big Sky Conference, signifying a shift in scheduling mentality.
2027
vs. UC Davis
2028
at Montana State
vs. Wofford
2031
at UC Davis
vs. Richmond
2032
at Richmond
“We are excited for the opportunity to expand the Harvard Football brand to new parts of the country and continuing to maximize the student-athlete experience for our team,” Harvard head coach Andrew Aurich said.
