With The Game on the Horizon, Harvard Athletics Works to Increase Football Attendance

University officials have been working around the clock to increase participation at Harvard football games this season, targeting both Harvard affiliates and local residents.

Athletic Director Erin McDermott says her department hopes to boost underwhelming game attendance and is putting in the work to make that happen. McDermott said the University is emphasizing the effectiveness of “peer to peer” advertising that relies on word of mouth in their efforts.

“That's the next step,” McDermott said. “People come and then you're all talking about it, and then it makes other people think ‘OK, maybe I'll give this a shot.’”

Senior Associate Director of Athletics Nicholas Majocha also discussed the need for genuine student engagement and excitement.

“We know that if Harvard Athletics or Harvard College throws a party or a tailgate, no one's going to come,” Majocha said. “It has to be promoted and organized by the students, so we're trying to support those efforts with space and some resources, and then we're trying to let the students really run the events.”

“We're just trying to amplify them,” he added.

McDermott said that other efforts to boost attendance are already yielding results, giving the example of CrimZone – an app introduced in 2011 that rewards students for attending athletic events – has seen an increase in engagement this year.

“I was told it was over 800 new sign ups for that app this year, which is great,” McDermott said.

This year, Harvard is also hosting its rival, Yale University, for The Game, which Majocha said has “tremendous tradition” and has led to an increase in season ticket sales which have “jumped more than 50 percent in the last year.”

“We announced the earliest sellout that we've ever had for Harvard Yale,” he added.

Majocha said the University acknowledged the low turnout at 2022’s game due to overly restrictive rules around tailgates, and is working to find a better balance.

“They realized that it was too restrictive two years ago, and that led to low attendance, and it led to offshoot parties,” Majocha said. “The goal here is to have one tailgate that appeals to the whole undergraduate population and the Yale population that comes to visit that weekend.”

“We’ve just got to figure out how to do that, where the university is comfortable with the, as you called it, liquid,” he added.

This year Harvard Athletics is collaborating with the Dean of Students Office to increase attendance at The Game. McDermott also noted a new feature of this year's game – the addition of a new speciality drink in partnership with Sam Adams called “Crimson Ale.”

But it’s not just university affiliates Harvard is trying to court attendance from at its games.

Andrew Zingone, the assistant director of athletics, spoke of the college's commitment to engaging community members in the greater Boston-Cambridge area as well, promoting a Harvard game as a more accessible option for residents than professional Boston sports.

“Giving those families, those fans, that experience that they want at a lower cost in a lower stress environment in a major city is really where we can differentiate ourselves,” Zingone said.

Zingone also said that the University is trying to create a culture that is “organically Harvard.”

“It's easy to point to a Harvard football game and compare it to Alabama football, but you don't see anyone comparing an Alabama math class and a Harvard math class,” he added.

—Jo B. Lemann and Tyler J.H. Ory contributed reporting.