• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Ivy League Takes Rare Step Into Modern Era of College Sports With FCS Playoff Berth

The Ivy League used to have the shortest season in Division I college football. Now it gets to have a postseason. 

Princeton Football
Jim O’Connor-Imagn Images

As college sports have rapidly evolved in recent years, the Ivy League has stayed relatively the same. 

The Northeast schools known for their academics have been allergic to name, image, and likeness payments, despite their enormous endowments, and the conference has continued to ban grad transfers and fifth-year players in the era of the transfer portal. It has never offered athletic scholarships, and a group of Ivy League athletes suing the league over the policy had their case thrown out by a judge in October. In an era when college athletes are trending more toward becoming employees, the Ivy League has remained stubbornly in the past.

On Wednesday, the conference took a small, rare step into the modern era. 

Starting with the 2025 season, the Ivy League will participate in the FCS playoffs, with the conference winner clinching an automatic berth, the league announced. Now, the Ivy League champion could play for the national title. 

The 2025 Ivy League could see as many as five games added to its schedule, should it go all the way to the FCS final. The FCS playoffs include 24 teams with the top eight seeds all getting byes to the second round. Should an Ivy League team receive a bye, its path to the final would be only four games. This year’s FCS playoffs started Nov. 30, and the final will be held Jan. 6. 

Before Thursday, the Ivy League’s stance on the playoffs was rooted in the conference’s academic foundation. The additional burden of postseason games, which overlap with final exams, made the FCS playoffs a nonstarter. 

The idea of reexamining the conference’s stance on the FCS playoffs was brought up by its SAAC (student-athlete advisory committee) roughly a year ago and was approved by school presidents Wednesday. 

“The Ivy League prides itself on a storied tradition of impact, influence and competitive success throughout the history of college football. We now look ahead to a new chapter of success and to further enhancing the student-athlete experience with our participation in the NCAA FCS playoffs,” said Ivy League executive director Robin Harris in a release. 

Previously, the eight-member league had one of the shortest seasons in college football, with schools playing 10 regular-season games, seven of which were conference matchups. This season, Columbia won a share of the league for the first time since 1961, along with Dartmouth and Harvard. Instead of adding a conference title game, the league said it will develop tiebreakers in the coming months to determine the automatic qualifier if there are future co-champions. In basketball, the conference used to award its regular-season winner an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament, but it installed a four-team tournament in 2017. 

Princeton was the last Ivy League school to go undefeated in 2018 and finished ninth in the final FCS poll. The league’s three co-champions this season all received votes in the FCS poll. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Brian Kelly

CFB Firings Tracker: LSU Owes Brian Kelly $53 Million

The sum owed Kelly slightly tops James Franklin’s at Penn State. 
Tigers Head Coach Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. October 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.

College Football Coach Buyouts Are Not What They Seem

LSU will likely not have to pay Kelly the $53 million he has left on his contract.

LSU Ends Brian Kelly Era, $53M Buyout Negotiations Underway

The Tigers fell to 5–3 after losing to Texas A&M.

Revenue-Sharing Era’s New Powers: Indiana, Georgia Tech, and Vandy

Indiana is the most notable, having ascended to No. 2.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.

Sarkisian, Kiffin Address Rumors As Coaching Carousel Spins Again

Reports are rampant about the coaches taking new jobs.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) celebrates following the game between Vanderbilt University and Louisiana State University at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025
exclusive
October 24, 2025

Diego Pavia Is Trying to Kill NCAA JUCO Eligibility Rules for Good

Vandy’s QB is amending his own lawsuit to encompass all NCAA athletes.
Azzi Fudd
October 24, 2025

Government Shutdown Moves UConn Season Opener Out of Germany

The shutdown is now on its 24th day.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

Fans can now follow their favorite golfers and experience every marquee moment at the Ryder Cup — thanks to innovation from T-Mobile.
Oct 11, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell after losing the game to the Pittsburgh Panthers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium.
October 23, 2025

CFB’s Chaotic (and Pricey) Coaching Carousel Only Getting Started

Firings have already accounted for roughly $116 million.
Jun 10, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; A NCAA logo flag at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field.
October 23, 2025

College Athletes Can Bet on Pro Sports Starting in November

An NBA player and coach were charged Thursday in a sports betting investigation.
Tony Vitello
October 22, 2025

Tony Vitello’s Stunning MLB Jump Comes With $3M Tennessee Buyout

Vitello heads to San Francisco after winning a national championship in 2024.
Texas Tech tortillas
October 22, 2025

Texas Tech Is Attempting a Tortilla Crackdown 

Rebellious students are known to smuggle the tortillas in their underwear.