overallrecordof156-63.HehaswonnineIvyLeaguechampionshipsandhasguidedtheCrimsonto13straightwinningseasons.In2004whenMurphyledHarvardtoanIvyLeaguetitleanda10-0record,therewereplentyofcallsfortheCrimsontoplayinthepostseason.Harvardwas,infact,theonlyunbeatenteaminallofthethenDivisionI-AA.Murphypulledoffthesamefeatexactly10yearslaterwhenhis2014squadwent7-0inIvyLeagueplayand10-0overall.TheCrimsonfinishedtheseasonranked14thinthefinalFCScoachespoll.
Despitenotpermittingpostseasonplay,plentyofIvyLeaguefootballplayershavemovedontotheNFL.HarvardquarterbackRyanFitzpatrick,anIvyLeagueMVP,hasplayedforsixteamsinhis11-yearcareer.Atthe2016NFLDraft,PrincetonwidereceiverSethDeValvewasselectedinthefourthroundbyClevelandandHarvardoffensivetackleColeTonerwentinthefifthroundtoArizona.TheCrimsonhadfourotherplayersthatsignedonasfreeagentsafterthedraft.DartmouthhadtwofreeagentsigningsandPennone.
Whilefootballisclearlynotwhatitusedtobe,theIvyLeagueisnot
completelyoutoftouchwiththebenefitsofbig-timecollegefootball.In2009,anewtuitionpolicywasinstitutedatHarvard,Yale,Penn,Princeton,andDartmouth.Allstudentsacceptedintotheseschoolsfromfamiliesthathaveincomeslessthan$60,000peryearwouldgotoschoolforfree.Thosecomingfromfamiliesthatearnlessthan$180,000peryearwouldspendjust10percentofthatincometowardtuition.TheideacouldleadtomoresuperiorathleteswhoalsoexcelintheclassroomgivingtheIvyLeagueatry.Still,suitinguptoplayagainstBrownonaSaturdayafternooninfrontof10,000fansjustisn’tthesameasrunningthroughthetunnelintheSECorBigTen.
“PlayingintheIvyLeaguewastrulyanhonor,”saidRoyceNovosel-Johnson,aformerstrongsafetyatDartmouthintheearly2000s.“Theplayers’timecommitmentstopractice,weighttraining,meetings,andfilmarejustasrigorousaslargerprograms.ThemisconceptionpeoplehavewithIvyLeagueschoolsisrelatedtoscholarships.”Asmentioned,IvyLeagueschoolsstilldonotoffertheirfootballplayersscholarshipsofanysort.
“It’sachallengeandIvyLeaguecoacheshaveatougherjobthantheircounterpartsatlargerschools,”Novosel-Johnsonsaid.“Theyspendasmuchtimerecruiting,watchingfilm,coaching,etc.ascoachesatFBSschools.ThedifferenceisthatIvycoacheshavetofindkidswhoare1)goodenoughtoplayatahighlevel,2)smartenoughtomakeitthroughthecourseloadfromanacademicstandpoint,and3)willingtoplaywithoutascholarship.”
Theleaguecontinuestobeaheadofthecurvewhenitcomestothingslikeconcussions.IvyLeaguepresidentsformedacommitteein2010todeterminehowtheleaguecouldlimitthenumberofconcussionsinagivenseason.Theresultwasamovetolimitthenumberoffullcontactpractices(two)perweek.InMarchofthisyear,theleaguebecamethefirstatanyleveltoeliminatefullcontactpracticesduringtheregularseason.
Whilealandmarkmove,theIvyLeagueisstillhinderedbyitstradition.Ononeendarethehardlinerswhosticktothestatusquo.TheIvyschoolsareaboutacademics,andanyemphasisonsporttakesawayfromthemissionofAmerica’sfinestinstitutions.Ontheotherendarethosewhoseethebenefitsofmorenationalexposuretotheirschoolsviaathletics.TheIvyLeaguecontinuestorenewitsTVdealwithNBCSportsNetworkthattelevisesbetweenfourandtenfootballgameseachyear.TheGame,HarvardversusYale,isastaplethatthenetworkhasbroadcasteveryyearsince2008.
Fornow,itappearsthattheIvyLeaguewillcontinuetoremainsomewherebetweentraditionandbig-timefootball.
PhotosCourtesyof:PrincetonUniversityAthletics
28www.coachandplayer.com
In1950,Princeton’s#42,DickKazmaier,wasthelastIvyLeaguePlayertowintheHeismanTrophy.
*Bednarikwasathree-timeAll-AmericanatPennandwentontostarforthePhiladelphiaEaglesintheNFL.Hewasthelastfull-timetwo-wayplayerinprofessionalfootball.HeistheonlyIvyLeaguefootballplayerinboththecollegeandprofessionalHallsofFame.