Penn Lightweight Men’s Crew Returns to Racing This Saturday

The University of Pennsylvania lightweight men’s crew competes on April 11, 2026, on the Housatonic River in Derby, Connecticut, as part of their ongoing cup season. The Quakers face off against Yale and Columbia in a series of races that will determine the winners of the Marcellus Hartley Dodge Cup and the Colgan Points Cup.

The Marcellus Hartley Dodge Cup

The Marcellus Hartley Dodge Cup is contested specifically during the Varsity Eights race. The trophy is named for Marcellus Hartley Dodge, a member of the Columbia Class of 1903 who previously served as a coxswain for the Columbia Lions.

Yale currently holds a significant lead in the all-time series for the Dodge Cup, with 41 total wins. The University of Pennsylvania has 17 wins, while Columbia has recorded eight wins in the history of the competition.

During the 2025 1V8 race held on the Cooper River, Penn retained the Dodge Cup. In that contest, the Quakers defeated second-place Yale by early three seconds and finished eight seconds ahead of third-place Columbia.

The Colgan Points Cup

The Colgan Points Cup is awarded to the overall points winner from the day’s racing between Penn, Columbia, and Yale. Introduced in 2022, the cup was donated by the sons of rowing legend Charles Chuck Colgan C’50 to honor his legacy.

Charles Colgan’s contributions to the sport include serving as the captain of the Penn crew during his senior year. He later transitioned into coaching, holding positions at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, La Salle, Saint Joseph’s, and Vesper AC.

The distribution of the Colgan Cup has shifted over its first few years. Yale won the inaugural cup in 2022, and Columbia took the title in 2023. However, the University of Pennsylvania has dominated the most recent competitions, sweeping both the Dodge and Colgan Cups in 2024 and 2025.

National Rankings and Performance

The current competitive standing of the crews is reflected in the Week 1 IRCA/IRA national polls, which were released on April 8, 2026. Penn’s Lightweight Varsity Eight is currently ranked third in the nation, trailing only Harvard and MIT.

The other participants in the April 11 event are ranked lower in the national polls, with Yale positioned seventh and Columbia ranked tenth.

Race Schedule and Coverage

The events on April 11, 2026, are scheduled to take place in the following order:

• 8:30 a.m. – Second Varsity Eights
• 9:00 a.m. – Varsity Eights (Dodge Cup)
• 9:45 a.m. – Third Varsity Eights, which will include the Penn 4V8

The races will be available for viewing via ESPN+.