Yale officials announced Sunday that quarterback Patrick Witt withdrew his application for the Rhodes Scholarship so that he will be able to play against archrival Harvard this weekend.

The Rhodes Scholarship is one of the most prestigious academic prizes in the world. The award funds three years of study at the University of Oxford for just 80 scholars from around the world, including 32 from America.

Witt, a history major with a 3.91 GPA, had hoped to study international relations at Oxford. However, his finalist interview was scheduled for November 19, the same day as “The Game” between Harvard and Yale, the nation’s second-oldest continuous rivalry. His interview was to take place in his home state of Georgia, and he would be unable to make it back in time for the game.

Witt, who transferred from Nebraska to Yale, is the Bulldogs’ career record holder in completed passes and passing yards. He is eligible to reapply for the Rhodes any time before his 24th birthday, but he only has one more shot to beat Harvard (the Crimson beat Yale four straight years and nine of the last ten).

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