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The Ivy League has partnered with Japan's National Football Association (NFA) to compete in the an all-star game in Tokyo. An Ivy League team, featuring student-athletes from all eight institutions, will square off against a Japanese team starring players from the X League. The event is set for Saturday, Jan. 21 at 11 p.m. EST (Sunday, Jan. 22, 1 p.m. JST) at the National Stadium, newly built for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games. The Ivy League delegation will participate in numerous cultural and educational events during its week-long stay in Japan. The group is joined by two professors from Ivy League institutions to further the educational experience of the travel party.
Dylan Goodman/Harvard Athletics

Ivy League Football Announces Second Annual Dream Japan Bowl

8/24/2023 3:00:00 PM

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The Ivy League has been invited to participate in Japan's National Football Association's (NFA) Dream Japan Bowl for the second consecutive season as part of the NFA's goal to continue growing the sport in the country. The game is set to begin at 11 p.m. EST on January 20, 2024, (1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 21, local time) at the National Stadium, the site of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Similar to last year's inaugural event, the Ancient Eight will combine to send a 52-person roster, this time led by Brown head coach James Perry, to compete against the Japan All-Star Team, comprised of players from the X League, Japan's top American football league. The Ivy roster will be made up of senior and graduate student-athletes from all eight programs. Off the field, the Ivy delegation will take part in several cultural experiences.

Last years game saw Thomas Glover, Isaiah Hogan, Joe Kelly, Max Lundeen, and Ben Mays as the Big Red representatives. When not practicing, the group toured Kamakura, visited the US Embassy, toured the Central Japan Railway Company and their MagLev trains, and visited Tachibana High School where they led a football clinic.
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