1961 Harvard Crimson football team

1961 Harvard Crimson football
Ivy League co-champion
ConferenceIvy League
Record6–3 (6–1 Ivy)
Head coach
CaptainAlex W. “Pete” Hart
Home stadiumHarvard Stadium
1961 Ivy League football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Columbia + 6 1 0 6 3 0
Harvard + 6 1 0 6 3 0
Dartmouth 5 2 0 6 3 0
Princeton 5 2 0 5 4 0
Yale 3 4 0 4 5 0
Cornell 2 5 0 3 6 0
Penn 1 6 0 2 7 0
Brown 0 7 0 0 9 0
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 1961 Harvard Crimson football team was an American football team that represented Harvard University as a member of the Ivy League during the 1961 college football season. In their fifth year under head coach John Yovicsin, the Crimson compiled a 6–3 record (6–1 in conference games) and outscored opponents by a total of 160 to 97 (143 to 60 in conference games). They tied with Columbia for the Ivy League championship even though Harvard lost to Columbia by a 26–14 score during the season.

Alex W. "Pete" Hart was the team captain. Three Harvard players received first-team all-conference honors: end Bob Boyds; tackle Darwin Wile; and guard Bill Swinford.

Harvard played its home games at Harvard Stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.