Welcome to The Game!

One hundred fifty years ago, Harvard’s football team suited up in New Haven, Conn., to face Yale for the first time. From there, a tradition was born — one that has brought celebrations and heartbreak for generations of Crimson and Bulldogs fans, in games full of high stakes and with Ivy League titles on the line.

This year, though, both teams will be fighting for something more — a chance to make history by securing the first automatic bid for the FCS playoffs for an Ivy League team.

In these pages, you’ll learn about the Harvard team hoping to earn the honor. You’ll read about the Crimson’s star quarterback, the kickers Harvard relies on in its high-stakes moments, and the woman directing Harvard’s football operations.

If this is the only football game you come to this year, read about the rules of football and how the Crimson players stack up against the Bulldogs and legends of years past.

If you’re a loyal fan, you can delve into the history of The Game and its first playing 150 years ago. You can learn about the fate of generations of Handsome Dans and iterations of the Harvard and Yale stadiums.

Most of all, whether you’re at home or in New Haven, take a moment to soak in the cheers and joy of the fans keeping this tradition alive year after year as, for one day, we all bundle up in the cold for a chance at glory.

—Staff writer Praveen Kumar can be reached at praveen.kumar@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Jo B. Lemann can be reached at jo.lemann@thecrimson.com.