Yale

9-32025 record

Ivy · Yale Bowl · 61,446 · 12,397 avg in 2025

The nationunrankedAP / Coaches

The marketno line yetat Holy Cross · our model 59% Yale · a number, not a pick

Openerat Holy Cross · Sat Sep 19 · 2 pm ET · Fitton Field · series 21-7, won the last 2 · Game preview

Updated Tue Sep 15 · preseason

T1Regional

T2Mid-Major

T3Power

T4National

T5Blue Blood

T6Dynasty

T7All-Time

Era record 76-36 11 seasons

Best season 9-1 2019

TRAJECTORY · quality-score line · AP rank dotted · CFP bids marked · coach regimes ribboned

Program Quality AP Rank (inverted) CFP Appearance

CHAPTERS · 11 seasons · tap to open the archive

'14 — '15 — '16 — '17 — '18 — '19 — '21 — '22 — '23 — '24 — '25 9-3

Yale's 2014–2025 record is 76-36. The era is still being written; the CFP line is the one the program is arguing for.

Program outlook

Yale didn't just play American football—a Yale man invented it, and the Bulldogs just made history by becoming the first Ivy League team ever to win an FCS playoff game.

Read the full essay — 4 more paragraphs

Walter Camp played halfback for Yale from 1876 to 1882, then coached the Bulldogs to a staggering 68–2 record from 1888 to 1892. During his tenure, Camp revolutionized college football: he created the line of scrimmage, the down system, the quarterback position, and the 11-man team structure. Every football game played since has used Camp's grammar. Yale football is, quite literally, the birthplace of American football.

That legacy has been both a blessing and a burden. The Bulldogs won 27 national championships, an astonishing 26 of them between 1872 and 1909—an era of dominance that no program in the modern football age has matched. But when the Ivy League formally began in 1954, Yale's championship drought began. The program remained competitive (19 Ivy titles, including 14 since the league started), but no longer played for national glory.

Until 2025. Under head coach Tony Reno's 13-year tenure, Yale finished 9–3 and 6–1 in Ivy League play. The Bulldogs defeated previously unbeaten Harvard 45–28 in The Game on November 22, 2025—a rivalry that dates to 1875 and is one of the oldest in American sports. That victory clinched a share of the Ivy League title and, for the first time in program history, the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs.

The Bulldogs then pulled off an improbable 28-point comeback in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 15 Youngstown State 43–42 in a thrilling first-round playoff matchup. Yale became the first Ivy League team ever to win an FCS playoff game. As the 2026 season approaches under new head coach Kevin Cahill, Yale faces an open question: Can the program sustain this new level of national competition while remaining true to its Ivy League identity—non-scholarship, player-led, with an academic mission that comes first?

On the field

Yale plays Ivy League football: non-scholarship, built on character and integrity rather than recruiting rankings. The program emphasizes player development and leadership. Head coach Tony Reno's philosophy was to evaluate teams not by wins and losses, but by how they 'leave the jersey better than they found it.' Players commit to the program for the opportunity to compete and grow, not for athletic aid.

program outlook · as of 2026-07-03

All-time record · Yale

Yale has won 71% of its games since 1872 — 76% at home, 61% on the road.

854-296-52 all-time · 136 seasons · 1872–2025

Home 627-176-22

Away 226-116-30

Neutral 1-4

76%

1870s

94%

1880s

91%

1890s

92%

1900s

66%

1910s

70%

1920s

56%

1930s

53%

1940s

60%

1950s

63%

1960s

74%

1970s

63%

1980s

1 g

1990s

59%

2000s

59%

2010s

69%

2020s

The Game 1875 (first match)

Yale and Harvard played the second-oldest rivalry game in American college sports; Harvard won 4–0

Milestone

1880

Walter Camp's innovations

Intercollegiate Football Association adopts Camp's rules: 11-man team, QB position, line of scrimmage, downs system

1960 Undefeated Ivy Title

Yale went 9–0 and won the outright Ivy League championship under coach Charley Loftis

2025 The Game victory

Yale defeated previously unbeaten Harvard 45–28 (Nov 22, 2025), clinching Ivy co-title and FCS playoff auto-bid; first Ivy League FCS postseason appearance

Miracle

2025 FCS Playoff first-round win

Yale defeats No. 15 Youngstown State 43–42 in historic comeback (28-point deficit erased), first FCS playoff win by any Ivy team

Miracle

Moment of the Year · Yale · 2025

Won 28-10 vs Holy Cross

Week 4 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.

Decisive Margin

NFL Draft Pipeline

2022–2024

Yale has sent 2 players to the NFL Draft since 2022 — none in the first round.

Thin. Roster development still maturing.

2 picks · 0 in round 1

#75 Kiran Amegadjie Offensive Tackle · 2024 · Chicago

#239 Rodney Thomas II Safety · 2022 · Indianapolis

#111 all-time · 2 first-round picksthe talent factory →

#	Program	Record
1	Harvard	6-1
2	Yale	6-1
3	Dartmouth	4-3
4	Pennsylvania	4-3
5	Cornell	3-4
6	Brown	2-5
7	Princeton	2-5
8	Columbia	1-6

Rituals

Three gameday rituals — the ones outsiders never quite catch.

Walter Camp's Legacy

since 1876

Yale football traces directly to Walter Camp, who played halfback for the Bulldogs (1876–1882) and coached them to a 68–2 record (1888–1892). Camp invented the line of scrimmage, the down system, the QB position, and the 11-man team—the foundational grammar of American football. No other program can claim to be the literal birthplace of the sport.

The Game (Yale vs Harvard)

since 1875

The oldest rivalry in the nation (dating to November 13, 1875), The Game is one of college football's most storied traditions. Yale has won 7 of the last 10 matchups, including a 2025 victory (45–28) that clinched a share of the Ivy League title and the conference's first-ever FCS playoff auto-bid. The rivalry is blood-feud in character—neither team gives ground.

Handsome Dan Tradition

since 1890

Yale was the first American college to adopt a live animal mascot. Andrew B. Graves (Class of 1892) purchased the first Handsome Dan—an English bulldog—from a New Haven blacksmith for $5 around 1890. The tradition continues with Handsome Dan XIX (Kingman), an Olde English Bulldogge, who appears at major events. The mascot embodies the program's longevity and pride.

Yale Bowl Significance

since 1914

The Yale Bowl opened on November 21, 1914, as the first stadium in the world with seating completely surrounding the field. At 70,896 seats, it was the largest athletic stadium on Earth. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987, the Bowl inspired the design of the Rose Bowl and, by extension, the term 'bowl game.' It is a temple to football history.

Cultural identityWhat college football loses if this program didn't exist.

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Yale

Power Program

The CFP Era

On the field

Yale has won 71% of its games since 1872 — 76% at home, 61% on the road.

What this program never forgets

The Game 1875 (first match)

Walter Camp's innovations

1960 Undefeated Ivy Title

2025 The Game victory

2025 FCS Playoff first-round win

Won 28-10 vs Holy Cross

Yale has sent 2 players to the NFL Draft since 2022 — none in the first round.

2nd in the Ivy

Rituals

Walter Camp's Legacy

The Game (Yale vs Harvard)

Handsome Dan Tradition

Yale Bowl Significance