Two mascots posing on a football field

Lehigh-Lafayette Rivalry

Known as THE RIVALRY, the Lehigh-Lafayette football game is the most-played college football rivalry in the nation. The two teams first took to the gridiron in 1884, just one year after the first standardized football rules were established, and have played 160 times since.

Rivalry 162

The Mountain Hawks secured victory over the Lafayette Leopards during Rivalry 161. Lehigh will play Lafayette once again at Fisher Stadium in November 2026.

2025: An Undefeated Season

The Lehigh Men's Football team was undefeated 12-0 in their regular 2025 season, winning the Patriot League Championship and earning a top seed in the FCS playoffs. Lehigh hosted the playoff game versus the Villanova Wildcats at Goodman Stadium for the first time in 21 years.

Led by coach Kevin Cahill, they claimed their 14th league title and extended their winning streak to 17 regular season games, the longest in the FCS. Coach Cahill, recipient of the 2025 Eddie Robinson award, brought the team to victory time and time again instilling in the team grit, determination and skill. More about men's football.

Rivalry Forever

The Rivalry doesn't end at graduation. Lehigh alumni are some of the loudest and proudest supporters of this annual tradition. Between festive tailgates on Goodman Campus and a host of telecast parties across the nation, the love for The Rivalry lasts forever.

Explore Lehigh-Lafayette events

Lehigh-Lafayette: Told Through Traditions

Rivalry: Miles between stadiums

10.8

Miles

The distance between Lehigh and Lafayette’s stadiums (as the Mountain Hawk flies).

Older photo of goalposts and a football stadium

Past Traditions

Rivalry: All-time wins for Lehigh

73

All-time wins

Lehigh’s 73 (73-82-5 overall) all-time wins in college football’s most-played Rivalry honor a legacy of grit.

Bedsheets during Rivalry week

Bedsheet Banners

Rivalry: Turkey Trot miles

2.6

Mile course

The 2.6-mile route run during the Turkey Trot is the historic standard for the trot and has rarely fluctuated.

Bed races during Rivalry week

Bed Races

Rivalry: Year of the first Rivalry game

1884

The year of the first Rivalry game.

In 1884, the Rivalry was born. Lehigh and Lafayette started the most-played rivalry in college football, leading to 142 years of tradition.

Older photo of a football game

The Game

Rivalry: Mountain Hawks record since 1995

18-12

Mountain Hawk Victories

The Mountain Hawks' record in The Rivalry since 1995 speaks to the grit and determination of the men’s football team and strong leadership from the coaches who’ve shaped them.

See more student blog posts about the Rivalry
 

Traditions Out Loud

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Eco Flame

The Marching 97 “Eco-Flame” began in the 1970s, when Professor Rich Aronson asked the band to play during his ECO 001 class.

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Bed Races

Students form teams, decorate beds and drag race them down Packer Avenue in one of Lehigh’s most treasured traditions.

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Coach Kevin Cahill

Football coach Kevin Cahill was named the 2025 FCS Coach of the Year, winning the prestigious Eddie Robinson Award for guiding the Mountain Hawks to an undefeated regular season and deep playoff run.

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Turkey Trot

A 2.6-mile run through campus to the top of “The Hill” and back to the Clayton UC lawn, the Turkey Trot draws participants from the entire Lehigh community.

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Beat Lafayette Luncheon

On the Friday before the game, senior players & coaches have lunch with members of the “50 Game Club,” who have attended 50 or more Lehigh-Lafayette games.

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Beam Crushing

A newer tradition hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers student chapter, participants are invited to witness the 5 million-pound testing machine in Fritz Lab crush a Lafayette steel beam.

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Rivalry on Display

One of the most popular, and creative, traditions is “Bedsheet Banners” hung up in front of residence halls, off-campus housing, or even in offices.

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Tearing Down Goalposts

Taylor Stadium was Lehigh’s home for The Rivalry from 1914 to 1988.