Harvard Football Sells Out Season Tickets for First Time in History

Harvard Football sold out its season tickets for the first time in program history, the team announced in a post on X Friday morning, one day before the home opener.

The increase in sales comes as the Crimson prepares to begin its first season in 30 years with a new head coach.

Andrew Aurich, who most recently was the tight ends coach at Rutgers University, looks to lead the Crimson to the Ivy League title one year after Harvard finished in a three-way tie with Yale and Dartmouth for first place.

Season tickets went for $180 — an increase from $119 last year — and the team posted more than 2,250 sales, including 200 new season ticket holders.

The sellout marked an increase of 60 percent in season ticket holders and an overall increase of 73 percent in season tickets compared to 2022, as each season ticket holder can have multiple tickets.

Tickets for the 2024 season went on sale last November, shortly after the team secured the Ivy League championship. And now Harvard Football now has the most season ticket holders in program history.

The Crimson also saw higher attendance at games last season, recording a total attendance of 140,431 across all games. It was the highest attendance year for the program since 2015 and marked an increase of more than 25,000 from the year before.

The fan interest this season reflects the Crimson’s packed home game schedule. The Harvard-Yale game will be hosted at Harvard Stadium this year — a factor Harvard Athletics spokesperson Imry Halevi identified in an email as part of the increased interest in tickets.

According to Halevi, 98 percent of public tickets for the Game have already been sold less than a month after going on sale.

Harvard will also play rival-team Princeton — Aurich’s alma mater — at home this year during family weekend and host FCS powerhouses UNH and Holy Cross in October, providing fans with a rare opportunity to see how the Crimson matches up against top non-Ivy FCS talents.

Harvard’s contest against UNH on Friday, Oct. 4 will also be broadcast on the New England Sports Network.

The Crimson has also made efforts to appeal to fans by introducing field suites this year which includes perks like field passes and a private tent.

Neil F. Gilman ’77, a Harvard Football alum who was initially critical of Aurich’s hiring, wrote in a text that he was happy to hear about the sellout.

“It can only be interpreted as a new excitement for the 2024 team and staff,” Gilman wrote.

With season tickets sold out, fans will still be able to purchase single-game tickets through the Harvard Athletics’ website.

Harvard opens up the season — and the Aurich era — Saturday at noon against Stetson University, the first of six home contests over the next 10 weeks. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

—Staff writer Jo Lemann can be reached at jo.lemann@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @Jo_Lemann.

—Staff writer Praveen Kumar can be reached at praveen.kumar@thecrimson.com.