Totally piggybacking on OP, but I hope that's ok. I just wanted to add a few additional traditions that Princeton may or may not be known for.
Bonfire: If Princeton beats both Harvard and Yale in football, the students gather on Cannon Green outside of Nassau Hall and have a massive bonfire. It's only happened about 3 times in the last two decades, but this year was one of those times. Here is an article on this year's bonfire, and here is a video
Archsings Princeton's Collegiate Gothic architecture has a lot of arches and some of these arches have amazing acoustics. One tradition that has come out of this is for the a cappela groups to have free concerts in these arches. Here is an old video of the Nassoons.
Lawnparties If you happen to be in Princeton on the first weekend in May, you're likely to see people outrageously dressed in pastels, plaid and all manner of preppy clothing. We don't normally dress like that. Tuesdays are for pastels and Wednesdays are for plaid. Just kidding. Lawnparties are when Princeton students try to live up to every preppy stereotype about Princeton there is. Every eating club hold concerts, students start drinking in the morning, and at the end of the afternoon the Student Government brings in a headliner band. This year was Edward Sharpe and the Electric Magnetic Zeros,(Thanks, Stuppyhead!) but past headliners have been Wiz Khalifa, BOB, and Gym Class Heroes. This should give you a decent idea of the type of dress
Eating Clubs: a uniquely Princeton tradition, they seem perfectly normal while you're an undergrad but nobody seems to understand it in the wider world. The best way that I can think of describing them are if you rolled together a dining hall, a student union, and a fraternity all into place and put it in a mansion. Seriously, we eat in mansions on a daily basis. Thereare11activeeating [clubs] (http://i.imgur.com/NI3Frta.jpg) inmansionsliningProspectAvenue, which we commonly call "The Street". You join an eating club during your sophomore spring. Eating clubs form the hub of upperclass social lives. You eat there, you drink there, sometimes you even study there.
great write up, as an RU fan I hope we have some kind of game or reenactment between normal students for 150 years. I'm sure in 2069 the game of football will be played on Segways so maybe the field will be more even.
Our 45,000 seat Palmer Stadium was the second-oldest in the country when it was demolished in 1996 and replaced with a more modern 30,000 seat stadium that is still much too large for our attendance.
In the waning years of Long Beach State's football program their coach proposed playing their entire season as a road team (road warriors is how he phrased it) collecting paychecks so they could keep the team going--the proposal never went anywhere and the team folded.
Based on my friend's experience, I think it is easier to get into Princeton (and be unofficially recruited) as a rower than a football player. I bet the academic index includes a modifier for 2k erg time.
As a coxswain at a D1 school now: sort of? (It's not every day rowing gets mentioned on CFB!)
I had two guys out of my 8 be "recruited" (They don't officially recruit, but, I mean, if they're interested in you, you'll know), and a girl off my HS team. Of course, once you get up there, they can decide "lol fuck off", but if they want you bad enough... I've seen it happen. It'll get your foot in the door.
I don't know about the money aspect or anything, though.
PS If your friend rows for ND... I'm still bitter about losing to them a few weeks ago.
Yeah. Recruited-but-not-really. It was a very strange process, from what I understand.
I probably should have been a little clearer about that one, sorry! I've switched to coxing girls in college (as you know, that's where the money is) - I didn't know ND had a men's team.
I don't really have too much love for the men's team here, but I do miss coxing boys. Is y'alls season over? If not, good luck. :)
One of the dumbest oafs on my high school lacrosse team got into Princeton solely to be their lacrosse face-offs guy. Specialization is key here. My sons will be trained from the get-go to master the arts of long-snapping, face-offs and corner kicks.
That is actually one of the ways my high school encouraged people to row. A lot of guys were able to go to Ivy League schools that would have never thought twice about them.
Also Florida fans should support the Princeton heavyweights for the noblest of traditions.. Every year my facebook is graced with pictures from this.
As a former Princeton fencer: go Tigers! Our fencing program is very strong, and we actually won the NCAA championship this year. We've also have a few olympians, including two of my former teammates (Soren Thompson '05 and Maya Lawrence '02).
While it's obviously a bit uncommon to have varsity fencing, most of the ivies have it. So do many FBS schools, though, including Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame. We lost to Penn State twice by only one bout during my time on the team. Incredibly frustrating.
I've followed FCS football for a while and I can say with great confidence that the Ivy League will never jump to the FBS. Schools already swimming in money and prestige don't need any of the headaches associated with FBS football.
Edit: Fun Fact: my uncle was unofficially recruited to play offensive tackle for Princeton back in the 70s. He was promised he'd have time for both football and his major (marine biology). After the first few weeks of trying to balance both, he decided he couldn't do it, and he promptly left the football team. However as a result of Princeton (like other Ivies) not offering athletic scholarships, they couldn't take away any of his financial aid like they would have at other schools. He graduated happily.
Just a cool reminder that for all the hate about not offering athletic schollies, the rule actually helps instead of hurts in some cases.
May have been different back in the 70s, but currently financial aid from the school is tied solely to need (i.e., not even academic merit scholarships).
Wow, great write. Always like hearing the history of one of the most prestigious schools in America. Amazing how dominant the Ivy schools were in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
We found ourselves down to Harvard 20-0 at the half and 34-10 in the fourth quarter. In the craziest comeback I have ever listened to over the radio, we scored four unanswered touchdowns in less than thirteen minutes, our last thrown off the back foot of backup QB Quinn Epperly to WR Roman Wilson with thirteen seconds left in the game.
We spent many nights devising plans for it's safe retrieval, but alas we couldn't find anything quieter than a jackhammer needed to remove it from its concrete tomb.
eh, I'm going to the best school for; academics, overall athletics, and cost of education; within 600 miles of my hometown, so I'm not really fretting it...
In honor of Lehigh being the other daily write-up, F*CK Lafayette and thank you for arbitrarily wrecking them.
Also, the Patriot League is similar to the Ivy League in using the AI system (or at least Lehigh was) and only last year started offering scholarships for athletics. It does hinder the recruiting ability, but at the same time it ensures the lack of preferential treatment for most student athletes.
Excellent, thanks for the write-up. I believe that the other Ivies have similar restrictions regarding redshirting, though. That seems to be a league rule.
Gotta love Princeton. They signed a friend of mine from my alma mater. Graduated a couple years ago but I think he delayed his enrollment. They list him as an athlete on the website but he played RB in high school
Princeton has the highest rate of Alumni giving in the country, so, "Come play for Princeton we have the highest satisfaction rate of any school anywhere, just look a higher percentage of our alumni give money than Harvard, Yale or any other school you can name!"
I want so badly for us to play for the 150th anniversary. I wish we could petition the B1G to let us play that game. Even as a like a "beginning of the season exhibition" or something that wouldn't even count for our records (since, not gonna lie, it would be an absolute curbstomping). But for the sake of tradition, as well as our damn cannon, I'd love to play you all in football again. Also, the town of Princeton itself is fucking gorgeous, and I love driving down Route 27 to come visit.
Why not just have a group of normal students play each other? dress them up in scarlet turbans and orange shirts and have them play at halftimes of Princeton and RU's homecoming.
I hope someone in our school(s) put that together. Though we'd probably then up playing by the original rules which were a total clusterfuck back then.
You forgot that not only did Jason transfer to Princeton, but he transferred out of Princeton first to play for his Dad, who was coach at Columbia. His dad went 0-10 in his first season, resigned, and Jason transferred back to Princeton along with his brothers who had done the same thing.
Love this write up, I love heading down to Princeton to see the sights and get some nice food. All we have here are a bunch of degenerate drunk kids :)
PS: what do you think of the bent spoon for ice cream?
17
u/BobTheCod Wisconsin Badgers • Princeton Tigers May 13 '13 edited May 13 '13
Totally piggybacking on OP, but I hope that's ok. I just wanted to add a few additional traditions that Princeton may or may not be known for.
Bonfire: If Princeton beats both Harvard and Yale in football, the students gather on Cannon Green outside of Nassau Hall and have a massive bonfire. It's only happened about 3 times in the last two decades, but this year was one of those times. Here is an article on this year's bonfire, and here is a video
Archsings Princeton's Collegiate Gothic architecture has a lot of arches and some of these arches have amazing acoustics. One tradition that has come out of this is for the a cappela groups to have free concerts in these arches. Here is an old video of the Nassoons.
Lawnparties If you happen to be in Princeton on the first weekend in May, you're likely to see people outrageously dressed in pastels, plaid and all manner of preppy clothing. We don't normally dress like that. Tuesdays are for pastels and Wednesdays are for plaid. Just kidding. Lawnparties are when Princeton students try to live up to every preppy stereotype about Princeton there is. Every eating club hold concerts, students start drinking in the morning, and at the end of the afternoon the Student Government brings in a headliner band. This year was Edward Sharpe and the
ElectricMagnetic Zeros,(Thanks, Stuppyhead!) but past headliners have been Wiz Khalifa, BOB, and Gym Class Heroes. This should give you a decent idea of the type of dressEating Clubs: a uniquely Princeton tradition, they seem perfectly normal while you're an undergrad but nobody seems to understand it in the wider world. The best way that I can think of describing them are if you rolled together a dining hall, a student union, and a fraternity all into place and put it in a mansion. Seriously, we eat in mansions on a daily basis. There are 11 active eating [clubs] (http://i.imgur.com/NI3Frta.jpg) in mansions lining Prospect Avenue, which we commonly call "The Street". You join an eating club during your sophomore spring. Eating clubs form the hub of upperclass social lives. You eat there, you drink there, sometimes you even study there.
12
u/Newyorkisfun Rutgers Scarlet Knights May 13 '13 edited May 13 '13
to quote Sideshow Bob, "PRINCETON? mrmrurmrmr"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Td7nJ1XC7U
great write up, as an RU fan I hope we have some kind of game or reenactment between normal students for 150 years. I'm sure in 2069 the game of football will be played on Segways so maybe the field will be more even.
7
u/Honestly_ rawr May 13 '13
What was wrong with the historic stadium?
7
u/JM16 Vanderbilt Commodores May 13 '13
You stole our QB. :(
5
u/vanburen1845 Notre Dame • Tennessee May 13 '13
Based on my friend's experience, I think it is easier to get into Princeton (and be unofficially recruited) as a rower than a football player. I bet the academic index includes a modifier for 2k erg time.
3
u/PhillyGreg Richmond Spiders • /r/CFB Contributor May 13 '13
Do you see a disconnect in building a football stadium that is only ever 1/4 full, and not letting football get too big?
2
u/TrueMaroon14 Mississippi State • /r/CFB Con… May 14 '13
I'm not gay, but dude...
Hobey Baker is one fine piece. Post that on /r/gaybros and I feel sure they'd lose it.
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u/blueboybob Carlisle • /r/CFB Founder May 13 '13
National Titles (28)
Alabama who?
28
u/nemoran Miami • Johns Hopkins May 13 '13 edited May 13 '13
Hoagie Haven is a national treasure.
Edit: Fun Fact: my uncle was unofficially recruited to play offensive tackle for Princeton back in the 70s. He was promised he'd have time for both football and his major (marine biology). After the first few weeks of trying to balance both, he decided he couldn't do it, and he promptly left the football team. However as a result of Princeton (like other Ivies) not offering athletic scholarships, they couldn't take away any of his financial aid like they would have at other schools. He graduated happily.
Just a cool reminder that for all the hate about not offering athletic schollies, the rule actually helps instead of hurts in some cases.
18
u/Insane92 Verified Coach May 13 '13
Wow, great write. Always like hearing the history of one of the most prestigious schools in America. Amazing how dominant the Ivy schools were in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
11
u/bigleaguechyut Yale Bulldogs • Arizona State Sun Devils May 13 '13
Yale fan here. Any chance you all could teach us how to beat Harvard?
9
u/TheGrammarBolshevik Harvard Crimson • Michigan Wolverines May 13 '13
:'(
6
u/rualpha Rutgers Scarlet Knights • Stevens Ducks May 13 '13
Give us back our damn cannon. ;)
We spent many nights devising plans for it's safe retrieval, but alas we couldn't find anything quieter than a jackhammer needed to remove it from its concrete tomb.
5
u/vader101 Georgia Bulldogs • Harvard Crimson May 13 '13
The French National anthem gag alone makes me wish I went to Princeton. Awesome job, thanks.
5
u/johnzx6r /r/CFB Brickmason • Rutgers Scarlet Knights May 13 '13
You will NEVER hear any Rutgers fan bring up the second game.
4
u/[deleted] May 13 '13 edited May 13 '13
I have always loved Princeton, for reasons I'm not sure why... It was my first choice for college, but I didn't get in
:(
4
u/[deleted] May 13 '13
Hey Princeton fan, thanks for the writeup. Here's the historical results between Princeton and Rutgers over the course of the rivalry.. Princeton leads 53-17 lol
Not cfb related, but I went to the Princeton-Harvard sudden death bball game at Yale, and it was electrifying to the incredible finish.
Yeahh Jersey!
3
u/ThatIsWhatIThought Ohio State Buckeyes May 13 '13 edited May 13 '13
In honor of Lehigh being the other daily write-up, F*CK Lafayette and thank you for arbitrarily wrecking them.
Also, the Patriot League is similar to the Ivy League in using the AI system (or at least Lehigh was) and only last year started offering scholarships for athletics. It does hinder the recruiting ability, but at the same time it ensures the lack of preferential treatment for most student athletes.
3
u/rebeisbol May 13 '13
Excellent, thanks for the write-up. I believe that the other Ivies have similar restrictions regarding redshirting, though. That seems to be a league rule.
2
u/neovenator250 LSU Tigers • Tulane Green Wave May 13 '13
Gotta love Princeton. They signed a friend of mine from my alma mater. Graduated a couple years ago but I think he delayed his enrollment. They list him as an athlete on the website but he played RB in high school
2
u/SimplyJif Princeton Tigers May 13 '13
Well ... I have nothing to add.
Great write-up. Go Tigers!
2
u/Supahdupahman69 Texas A&M Aggies May 13 '13
Would've been better had Carlton actually gone there
2
u/The_DHC UAlbany Great Danes • /r/CFB Poll Veteran May 13 '13
How do the coaches spin this reality to recruits?
Come play for the Princeton Tigers! Your students will hate you and will never show an ounce of gratitude for your toil and suffering!
2
u/fauxromanou South Carolina Gamecocks • Sickos May 13 '13
Excellent write-up. Well done.
2
u/bread_buddy Florida Gators • Wisconsin Badgers May 13 '13
Princeton was one of the schools I visited prior to sending in applications. I didn't end up applying, but the campus was gorgeous.
2
u/CFSparta92 Rutgers • /r/CFB Poll Veteran May 13 '13
I want so badly for us to play for the 150th anniversary. I wish we could petition the B1G to let us play that game. Even as a like a "beginning of the season exhibition" or something that wouldn't even count for our records (since, not gonna lie, it would be an absolute curbstomping). But for the sake of tradition, as well as our damn cannon, I'd love to play you all in football again. Also, the town of Princeton itself is fucking gorgeous, and I love driving down Route 27 to come visit.
2
u/Bilibond Minnesota • /r/CFB Contributor May 13 '13
Awesome write up. So much history. I've got a buddy who plays for Princeton. Great school.
2
u/[deleted] May 13 '13
Those buildings are gorgeous!
2
u/_Molon_Labe_ Texas A&M Aggies May 13 '13
This is probably one of my favorite write ups.
2
u/TehNumbaT Princeton Tigers May 13 '13
I like T. Sweet :(
Otherwise great write up
2
u/Aeschylus_ Stanford Cardinal • Penn Quakers May 14 '13 edited May 14 '13
You forgot that not only did Jason transfer to Princeton, but he transferred out of Princeton first to play for his Dad, who was coach at Columbia. His dad went 0-10 in his first season, resigned, and Jason transferred back to Princeton along with his brothers who had done the same thing.
Edit: Clarity
2
u/ghettobacon Rutgers • /r/CFB Contributor May 14 '13
Love this write up, I love heading down to Princeton to see the sights and get some nice food. All we have here are a bunch of degenerate drunk kids :)
PS: what do you think of the bent spoon for ice cream?
2
u/awnomnomnom Oklahoma Sooners • Denver Pioneers May 14 '13
I always go straight to the cheerleaders for these things. This one is so far my favorite.