The Ivy League enters the 2026 football season with added stakes following its historic postseason debut in 2025. Yale and Harvard should remain leading championship contenders, while Dartmouth and Penn are dark horses looking to compete for an Ivy League title.
Every conference game now carries playoff implications in addition to the league title chase. Strong quarterback play, experienced defenses and close rivalry matchups should again define the standings. The Ivy put two teams, Yale and Harvard in the playoffs in 2025.
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The Game between Harvard and Yale remains the headline event, but the season-long battle for the automatic FCS playoff bid gives the entire schedule greater importance. From new coaches, win-now stakes and revamped rosters, the 2026 Ivy League season should prove to be one of the most interesting in the past 10 years.
Here's five things you need to know about the 2026 Ivy League football season.
How Will Yale Football Transition Into a New Era?
Tony Reno, longtime coach of Yale, stepped down at the end of the 2025 football season due to personal health reasons. Former Lehigh head coach Kevin Cahill has stepped in to fill the void left by the two-time Ivy League Coach Of The Year winner.
Cahill has proven to be successful as a head coach, leading Lehigh to two consecutive Patriot League Championships and FCS Playoff appearances. Yale still has some of the top talent in the conference, meaning a transition could be seamless.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Bulldogs move from a coach who has helped the team win the Ivy League in three of the past four seasons.
Can Columbia and Jon Poppe Get Back On Track?
Jon Poppe and Columbia got off to a hot start in the coach’s first season with the team in 2024 when they were Ivy League co-champions.
Twelve months later, the Lions are coming off a disappointing two win season and appear to be headed towards the bottom of the conference in 2026.
Senior quarterback Chase Goodwin will be instrumental in turning around Columbia, a team that’s in desperate need of an improved 2026 campaign.
2025 Ivy League Football Standings
- Yale — Overall: 9-3, Conference: 6-1
- Harvard — Overall: 9-2, Conference: 6-1
- Dartmouth — Overall: 7-3, Conference: 4-3
- Penn — Overall: 6-4, Conference: 4-3
- Cornell — Overall: 4-6, Conference: 3-4
- Princeton — Overall: 3-7, Conference: 2-5
- Brown — Overall: 5-5, Conference: 2-5
- Columbia — Overall: 2-8, Conference: 1-6
Three Out Of Conference Matchups To Watch
- September 19, 2026 - Dartmouth vs. Lehigh
- September 19, 2026 - Harvard vs. New Hampshire
- October 17, 2026 - Rhode Island vs. Yale
Ivy League Offensive Player Of The Year Candidates
- Xaviah Bascon, Harvard RB
- Dante Reno, Yale QB
- Jaxton Santiago, Yale WR
Who Won Each Football National Championship For The 2025-2026 Season?
- Division I FBS – Indiana def. Miami, 27-21
- Division I FCS – Montana State def. Illinois State 35-34 (OT)
- Division II – Ferris State def. Harding, 42-21
- Division III – University of Wisconsin-River Falls def. North Central (Ill.), 24-14
Archived Footage On FloCollege
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