ITHACA, N.Y. — In a landmark shift from its longstanding policy, the Ivy League announced Wednesday that its football programs will be eligible for postseason play beginning in 2025.
The decision ends the conference’s distinction as the only Division I league barring football teams from playoff participation. Under the new policy, the Ivy League champion will receive an automatic bid to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs.
The change emerged from a grassroots effort led by non-football student-athletes in the conference’s Student-Athlete Advisory Councils. It comes as Ivy League football teams have increasingly appeared in the FCS Top 25 rankings in recent years.
Cornell University’s football program, which hasn’t claimed a conference title since 1990, welcomed the announcement. First-year head coach Dan Swanstrom, whose team finished fourth in the conference with a 4-6 record, called it “an exciting day” that would showcase Ivy League football nationally.