Freshman Game in Stadium Moved Out Because of Pats

In a sudden break with tradition, the Harvard freshman football team will play no games in Harvard Stadium this year.

Harvard athletic officials deny that the move was a result of pressure from the Boston Patriots professional football club, which has a provisional one-year lease on the Stadium.

Instead, they contend the decision was made by Harvard in order to allow the turf in the Stadium to recover during the week after double duty from the Harvard varsity and the Patriots on weekends.

Godfrey Daniel

The freshmen have traditionally played at least one game in the Stadium and the Harvard coaches consider this game important because it helps prepare the players for the varsity program.

But on October 9-a weekend on which neither Harvard nor the Patriots were scheduled to use the Stadium-the freshmen played Tufts in their season opener on a varsity practice field outside the Stadium.

Assistant Athletic Director Eric Cutler '40 said bluntly Monday, "The freshmen were moved out [of the Stadium] because the Patriots play there."

The Yardling-Tufts game had been originally scheduled for the Stadium by the athletic office last May.

All freshmen games scheduled in the Stadium are subject to change due to weather conditions. In the event of inclement weather, the game is moved to one of the practice fields to protect the turf in the Stadium.

On Oct. 9, the sun was shining brightly.

For many years Harvard refused to allow the Patriots to use the Stadium because it was feared they would interfere with undergraduate use of the facilities. After just four home games, the Patriots may have justified those fears.