By: Hasnat Aslam ’27
Famously known as The Rivalry, the Lafayette-Lehigh football match is the most played rivalry in football history. This year marks the 159th occasion Lafayette Leopards will meet the Lehigh Mountain Hawks on the football field. The 2023 game takes place Sat., Nov. 18, at Lehigh’s Goodman Stadium.
Here are five interesting facts about one of the most chronicled sporting rivalries:
- The Rivalry started in 1884, the third season of intercollegiate football competition for Lafayette, and the first kickoff in Lehigh history. Lafayette Leopards won the inaugural meeting 56-0.
- Some traditions of the Rivalry have been banned over time due to safety concerns. For example, before 1991, it was traditional for fans to break down the temporary wooden goal posts. The pieces were often kept by fraternities of each school as souvenirs.
- The winning team does not receive a trophy. The game’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, as voted on by members of the media, has been presented each year since 1960.
- Lehigh has won the game by the highest margin, 78-0. However, Lafayette Leopards enjoyed the longest winning streak, winning 10 games in a row 1919 through 1928.
- In 2014, the game was played at Yankee Stadium for the 150th meeting between the two teams. Lafayette defeated Lehigh 27-7 before a sold-out crowd, and the game was featured on ESPN’s College GameDay.
Students can get game tickets and a bus pass for the upcoming game. Learn more about the activities happening on campus leading up to the game.