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.
Lehigh-Lafayette: Told Through Traditions
Rivalry: Miles between stadiums
10.8Miles
Miles
The distance between Lehigh and Lafayette’s stadiums (as the Mountain Hawk flies).
Rivalry: All-time wins for Lehigh
73All-time wins
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.
Rivalry: Turkey Trot miles
2.6Mile course
Mile course
The 2.6-mile route run during the Turkey Trot is the historic standard for the trot and has rarely fluctuated.
Rivalry: Year of the first Rivalry game
1884The year of the first Rivalry game.
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.
Rivalry: Mountain Hawks record since 1995
18-12Mountain Hawk Victories
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.