Athletics

Coverage of the Harvard sports and athletics—from team achievements to individual standout stories.

A football player in a white jersey evades a defender in a green uniform on the field.

Can Harvard’s Football Team Repeat Its Ivy League Success?

Despite personnel losses, Crimson captain Xaviah Bascon is upbeat about the 2026 season.

by Dick Friedman

Runners compete on a track, with a Harvard athlete in the foreground and others behind.

Harvard’s Cross-Country and Track-and-Field Teams Aim for Repeat Success

After a historic 2025-26 season, athletes eye NCAA championships.

by Kate Kaufman

A man in a suit stands confidently on an ice rink, smiling, with a sports arena in the background.

Rob Rassey Named Head Coach of Harvard Men’s Hockey

Rassey returns to Cambridge from Ann Arbor, Michigan.

by Laurel M. Shugart

Soccer player and goalkeeper Matt Freese standing in front of the net

Matt Freese ’22 Makes His World Cup Debut

The former economics concentrator brings his talent for crunching numbers to netminding.

by Olivia Farrar

Racing driver gives a thumbs up from inside a car, wearing a helmet and safety gear.

He Operates on Eyes. And He Operates a Racecar.

Harvard graduate and NASCAR racer Patrick Staropoli on pedals, attention, and fearlessness.

by Matt Crossman

Katie Benzan stands on a basketball court holding a ball, with a hoop in the background.

How Women Are Changing the NBA

From coaching staffs to front offices, female leaders are bringing new strategies to men’s basketball.

by David L. Tannenwald

Older man in a green sweater holds a postcard in a warmly decorated office.

How a Harvard Hockey Legend Became a Needlepoint Artist

Joe Bertagna’s retirement project recreates figures from Boston sports history.

by Schuyler Velasco

Skier holding a Harvard Crimson flag points at the camera

Harvard Students, Alumni to Compete at the 2026 Olympics

Six Crimson athletes are headed to the XXV Winter Games in Milano Cortina. 

by Olivia Farrar

Harvard quarterback evading a defender during a football game.

Sign of the Times: Harvard Quarterback Jaden Craig Will Play for TCU

Out of eligibility for the Crimson, the star entered the transfer portal.  

by Dick Friedman

Two bare-knuckle boxers fight in a ring, surrounded by onlookers in 19th-century attire.

England’s First Sports Megastar

A collection of illustrations capture a boxer’s triumphant moment. 

by Nell Porter-Brown

A man skiing intensely in the snow, with two spectators in the background.

Introductions: Dan Cnossen

A conversation with the former Navy SEAL and gold-medal-winning Paralympic skier

by Kate Kaufman