Trinity Falls to Wesleyan in First Winner-Takes-All Competition in 23 Years

William Friedman ’28

Contributing Writer

It has been since Nov. 10, 2001 – when Williams traveled to Amherst for their final game with the two teams tied for first place in the conference – that NESCAC football has had a “championship game.” The Ephs prevailed, therefore winning the 2001 title outright for a banner that would have been awarded to the winner of that game. Conference rules determine that there is no official postseason championship game, which in other conferences is played between the top two finishers from the regular season after its conclusion. However, by virtue of the teams tied for first facing off in the final week, fans effectively got to enjoy a championship game anyway. But title games of that nature in this conference are rare, and a matchup of these stakes did not occur again for another 23 years, until this weekend. On Saturday, Nov. 9, Trinity students got to witness the second ever winner-takes-all NESCAC game, between the Bantams and nearby rivals Wesleyan University. Both teams entered Saturday’s game standing at 7-1, Trinity having lost only to Middlebury and Wesleyan only to Bates. Trinity entered as the favorite, having demoralized Wesleyan 58-6 in last year’s final game and recording much more convincing margins of victory during the first eight weeks, but both teams entered aware that this game would likely be their toughest test of the season, and knowing that no game in the history of either program had ever had as significant championship implications as this one. 

In preparation for the big game, Wesleyan sent a bus full of students to support the Cardinals before the noon kickoff, and they enjoyed the first touchdown of the game coming on a Wesleyan passing touchdown to give them a 7-3 lead, but Trinity would answer later in the second quarter, beginning a series of alternating touchdowns until halftime when Trinity led 17-14. Unfortunately for the home crowd, Trinity’s offensive production stopped there, and two second half touchdowns conceded led to a final score of 27-17 in favor of Wesleyan. The game was controlled by Wesleyan’s running game, as Matt Diaz ran for 144 yards on 19 carries. Both teams played clean football, with no penalty first downs and no turnovers throughout the game, but Trinity was forced to punt every possession of the second half, proving to be the difference in the game. Wesleyan secured their first ever outright NESCAC title, and the Bantams tied for second place in the conference at 7-2. 

Despite the unwanted result in the big game, the 2024 season was not an unproductive one. Last year’s conference champion roster lost dozens of contributors including their all-conference quarterback, but the Bantams continued their streak of finishing in the top two of the conference for the last four years. They won seven games for the fourth straight year as well, having won convincingly in all seven of those wins, none within single digit margins and only one within two possessions. The team will look to return to championship status in 2025, and they have reason to believe they will contend again given the talent on the roster set to return and their perpetual success this century. Since 2000, no Trinity College student has completed four years without seeing a NESCAC football championship. The success of the 2024 team and the trajectory of the program suggests they will continue to contend in the future.