A short and historical appreciation for Columbia Football as well as your friendly reminder to COME TO THE GAME THIS WEEKEND.

If there is one day that many Columbia University students await—it is Homecoming. The crisp feeling in the air, the whole Saturday on the horizon and, of course, the chance to finally show that we have school spirit. What could be better? While to some students, this is just the only day in which adorning oneself in light blue merchandise and pretending you go to a football school is fun; there is much else to appreciate about going to Columbia University when this day rolls around. 

Let us take a walk back in time. While this humble school is no SEC or ACC, our very own Lions boast an impressive history of homecoming stats. Since 1941, Columbia University has hosted an impressive 79 Homecoming games, every year more (or less) exciting than the last. While some years there were roaring victories of 24-0 against visiting Harvard in 1998, other years had the Lions on the edge of their seat amidst enduring a forty-four-game losing streak in 1988. In the 94-game series with the Dartmouth Big Green, Columbia has been on the losing side, suffering defeat in the last four of five meetings. 

But for the Lions, there is more riding in this game than just getting revenge against the visiting team in front of their most excited and packed crowd at Baker Athletic Field. If the Lions can secure this victory, it would give them sole possession of first place in the Ivy League standings and improve their winning streak to 3-0, the first time this has happened since 2017. While the annual Homecoming Game has had Columbia compete against Penn and Cornell, Dartmouth has provided a well-fought challenge when coming to New York, leading the rivalry 7-4. Now, it is only a matter of time before the teams decide on 2024’s winner.

As we sit on the eve of the big game, there is more to Homecoming than just pretending you understand football’s rules and why the game takes an excruciatingly long time to complete. Homecoming is the place where our community gathers together. We celebrate the fact that even at a school as “small” and academically focused as ours, we can enjoy the simple pleasures of a Saturday football game. Whether you know who or what a wide receiver is or are already thinking about the next time you can get back to a game, Homecoming provides all Columbia students the place to embrace being a Lion. In the end, even nerds deserve to have one day to full heartedly embrace sports, regardless of what it may look like. 

We expect to see you in blue on Saturday, October 26, at 1 pm at the Robert Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium.

Columbia Football Field via Bwarchives