Well, October went by quickly. We’re back with another northeastern fall showdown, but this time with a smaller crowd. The Princeton Chase will take place this Sunday on Carnegie Lake in Princeton, New Jersey. Coming just two weeks after the Head of the Charles, we are not expecting any major switch-ups in speed across the crews. With 60 crews competing from just 20 teams, though, the field will be much tighter and we’ll have more significant results to work with. No matter who you’re rooting for, this weekend is sure to have great racing and rivalries on display.
Clemson University
If we’re being honest, Clemson is the top team that we will be watching this weekend. After missing out on a 2025 bid to the national championship, the Tigers clearly spent the offseason working their tails off. At the Head of the Charles, they finished just 5.2 seconds behind Dartmouth in the championship eight category, and nine seconds ahead of Duke ,who beat them in both the first and second eights at the ACC Championship. As is our disclaimer with any crew, fall racing and the Head of the Charles ultimately mean nothing, but this is certainly a promising sign for Clemson. Everyone has been aware of their gradual rise under Adrienne Martelli, but the Princeton Chase will be a great tangible result to see their speed against some proven high achievers.
Dartmouth University
Watch out for the Big Green! After their breakout spring season, Dartmouth showed at the Head of the Charles that they are not slowing down anytime soon. In 2024, they finished 20th in Boston, and last weekend they jumped ten spots to finish tenth, just 1.7 seconds behind Cambridge and ten seconds behind Princeton. While the Tigers may still have a couple of boat lengths on them yet, the Big Green could prove to be a real challenge for untested crews like Rutgers or Penn. We will somewhat reserve our judgment, considering that it is early in the year and the Head of the Charles never predicts end-of-year speed, but things are looking positive for Dartmouth.
Princeton University
After an impressive weekend in Boston, the Princeton Tigers will be the ones to watch closely at this home challenge. They took eighth at the Head of the Charles, just eight seconds back from Ivy League rival Brown. Considering that all of their main rivals from the Head of the Charles will not be in attendance at the Princeton Chase, the Tigers should be feeling pretty confident going into racing. That should be said with a grain of salt, however, as they beat Rutgers by only 2.2 seconds in the NCAA Championship first eight finals. Considering that the Scarlet Knights are not likely to ease up on such a small margin, Princeton will likely be anticipating a surprise.
Rutgers University
Welcome back to racing, Rutgers! This will be the public’s first glimpse at the Crimson Knights since their victory at Henley Royal Regatta following their incredible breakout performance at the NCAA Championship in June. If that was any indication of how this weekend will go, we are extremely excited to watch. Rutgers will be facing familiar rivals at the Princeton Chase, having finished just 2.2 seconds behind Princeton in the NCAA Championship first eight finals. Their second eight finished just 3.4 seconds ahead of Penn, so this weekend should make for some very tight margins. We’ll see if the Scarlet Knights can get it done with a longer course and lower rate, or if their northeastern rivals have been preparing for the matchup.
University of Pennsylvania
Despite missing their usual fall appearance at the Head of the Charles, Penn is still committed to gaining some racing experience in the fall. Much like Rutgers, this will be our first glimpse at the Quakers since the NCAA Championship in June, where they finished in 17th place behind Dartmouth. Back in May, Penn finished 3.4 seconds behind Rutgers in the second eight and three seconds behind Dartmouth in the first eight. Coming into the Princeton Chase, they will certainly be looking to nose closer to even with those crews, especially having skipped the Head of the Charles to train at home. We anticipate that this Quaker squad will be out for revenge and is not likely to yield to these major competitors.
University of Virginia
The Cavaliers are finally out of the lab. It is clear from social media that UVA has been hard at work on the Rivanna, gearing up for the Princeton Chase and the rapidly approaching spring season. Will that work pay off? We shall see! The Cavaliers currently find themselves in an interesting position in this field. At the NCAA Championship, they were well ahead of Dartmouth and Penn, finishing in a share of tenth place in the team standings, but remained behind both Rutgers and Princeton. That position was powered by a significant points haul from their second varsity eight, who reached the grand final at the start of June, and they will hope this speed will move up to the top boat this year. While none of this truly has any bearing on what will happen in Princeton this weekend, it does set the scene for an incredible 3 way showdown to possibly occur.
Predictions
With so many crews participating in this event, it will be overflowing with narrative to discuss. However, at the front of the field, we expect a tight battle among Princeton, Rutgers and Virginia. Ultimately, we would expect the Tigers to come out on top on their home course for the third year in a row. However, don’t count Michigan out of finishing near the front of the field, as they enter this event for the first time since 1998.
