Oberlin College's Football Culture Clash Sparks Campus Debate
In October 2025, Ava Harvey, a senior at Oberlin College and the sports editor for the Oberlin Review, published a column advocating for the Yeomen football team, which had a dismal record of 1–9 over the past two seasons and was currently 0–10. Titled "Put Your Mouth Where Your Money Is: Back Oberlin Football," her piece criticized the apathy of students and the school's "homogenized coastal culture." This prompted two responses, including one from freshman Ghulam Woolman, who argued in "Oberlin Does Not Need to Change Culture for Football" that campus culture should remain intact. The ongoing discussion reflects underlying tensions at Oberlin, a Division III institution that does not offer athletic scholarships. The Yeomen will play their season opener on Saturday, aiming for their first victory since November 26, 2024.
Key facts
- Ava Harvey wrote a column in the Oberlin Review in October 2025 arguing for more support for Oberlin's football team.
- The Oberlin Yeomen football team finished 0–10 in the 2025 season.
- Harvey's column was titled "Put Your Mouth Where Your Money Is: Back Oberlin Football."
- Two rebuttals were published in the Review's opinions page about a month later.
- Ghulam Woolman, a freshman, wrote a rebuttal titled "Oberlin Does Not Need to Change Culture for Football."
- Oberlin is a Division III school with no athletic scholarships.
- The football team has 41 players, with 17 listed at multiple positions.
- Oberlin's last win over Ohio State was in 1921 (7–6).
- John Heisman's first coaching job was at Oberlin in 1892.
- The team's season opener is Saturday, looking for their first win since November 26, 2024.
Entities
Artists
- Ava Harvey
- Ghulam Woolman
- Sebastiaan Faber
- Khalid McCalla
- Bee Herbstman
- Viv Tullis
- Lucy Wadman
Institutions
- Oberlin College
- Oberlin Review
- Oberlin College and Conservatory
- Calvin University
- Ohio State
- L.S.U.
- Hiram College
- N.C.A.A.
- N.F.L.
- Luddite Club
- Let's Talk About Death Club
Locations
- Oberlin
- Ohio
- Lansing
- Michigan
- Boulder
- Colorado
- Boston
- Massachusetts
- Louisiana