More than 14 months have passed since a Harvard Athletics program last competed. With Ivy League presidents announcing the cancellation of fall 2020, winter 2020-2021, and spring 2021 sports seasons due to Covid-19, the Crimson s 42 varsity teams have largely trained and communicated away from campus during the last academic year.
Given the absence of intercollegiate competition, Harvard s student-athletes faced important considerations when deciding whether or not to enroll in classes in 2020-2021. Other NCAA conferences may allow players that take classes but sit out athletic seasons to avoid counting that season towards their limited eligibility, thus preserving a season of athletic eligibility to use as a graduate student or fifth-year undergraduate. This process is known as âredshirting.â