The Ancient Eight: College Football’s Ivy League and the Game They Play Today

Sportswriter Feinstein (Feherty) fumbles this granular deep dive into the 2023–2024 Ivy League football season. Though he gives space to each of the league’s eight teams, the Dartmouth College Big Green stand out as the unofficial protagonists. They started the season reeling from the recent deaths of offensive lineman Josh Balara from cancer, and longtime coach Buddy Teevens from injuries sustained in a car accident. Feinstein describes how acting coach Sam McCorkle rallied the grieving team to a 5–2 season, tying for first in the league. Unfortunately, Feinstein struggles to spin a gripping story from the other teams’ seasons, offering tedious background on facility updates and personnel changes. The vivid character portraits found in Feinstein’s best work are absent here, replaced by superficial sketches of unmemorable athletes. The bulk of the book is devoted to lengthy play-by-plays, giving it the feel of a series of game recaps in search of a narrative (“After forcing Yale to punt to start the game, the Crimson moved to the Yale 45 with a first down. But the Yale defense stopped quarterback Jaden Craig on a fourth-and-three at the 38 and the Bulldogs took over on the 37”). It’s a rare misstep from a generally reliable talent. Agent: Andrew Blauner, Blauner Books. (Nov.)