I'm a freshman at Yale and just went to my first Harvard-Yale football game. The weekend was one of my favorites at college so far.

Miles KirkpatrickJan 15, 2024, 02:40 IST

The author and his friends at the Yale-Harvard football game.Courtesy of Samuel Johnson-Noya & Miles Kirkpatrick

I attended the famous Harvard-Yale football game as a Yale freshman for the first time.
I went tailgating, stripped in the stadium, and chanted as Yale won the game.

The Harvard-Yale rivalry is unlike any other, and as a Yale student, I recently learned firsthand just how deep this rivalry went.

The two schools are more known for producing academics than athletes, but for one weekend a year, we come together for one of the oldest college-football rivalry games.

The 139th iteration of The Game took place in November, and it was my first as a college freshman; the lead-up to the big game was also my first Harvard-Yale weekend.

Here's what the famous experience was like for me.

Harvard students started to arrive in New Haven the Friday before the game.

The author and one of his favorite Yale comedians at a comedy show.Courtesy of Miles Kirkpatrick

On game day, my residential college embarked on a grueling 30-plus minute walk to the stadium.

Saybrugians walking to the Yale Bowl.Courtesy of Miles Kirkpatrick

Once there, my friends and I decided to check out some of the tailgating.

The Harvard tailgate section.Courtesy of Miles Kirkpatrick

After briefly tailgating, I headed into the stadium.

The Yale Bowl.Courtesy of Miles Kirkpatrick

It took a minute for some of my friends to get the hang of things.

Me and my fellow Saybrook first years at the game.Courtesy of Samuel Johnson-Noya

We came up with chants during the game.

The Harvard section was full.Courtesy of Miles Kirkpatrick

Toward the end of the game, I engaged in a strange tradition — stripping.

The signal for the Saybrook strip.Courtesy of Miles Kirkpatrick

When Yale won, we stormed the field.

The frenzied, blurred chaos of storming the field.Courtesy of Miles Kirkpatrick

As I walked back to campus, I realized this rivalry game was one of my favorite events of freshman year so far.

Harvard and Yale students intermingled after the game.Courtesy of Miles Kirkpatrick

I'm a freshman at Harvard, living in the the famous Harvard Yards. From small dorm rooms to luxury commons spaces, here's what my dorm life is like.

Cookies on the Business Insider India website