Students and alumni at the 141st Harvard-Yale football game set aside traditional rivalry to voice opposition to the Trump administration’s actions affecting higher education, including program transfers and staff reductions at the Education Department. Protesters used the high-profile event to spotlight concerns about federal interference, funding shifts and threats to academic freedom. Organizers said the demonstration aimed to draw national attention to policies they say weaken federal support for students and institutions. University leaders and alumni groups on both sides expressed solidarity with students’ right to protest while cautioning against politicizing campus governance structures.