UChicago-Harvard: Obama’s Role in Rare College Basketball Tilt

How Obama Set the D3 Stage

McGrath, the program’s all-time winningest head coach and a three-time University Athletic Association (UAA) Coach of the Year, enters his 28th season leading the Maroons.

He identified two factors that made this unprecedented Division I vs. III matchup possible: the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, alongside an existing relationship between the teams.

I think President Obama gets most of the credit for this game. While he wasn’t personally involved, I think Harvard’s interest in taking a trip to Chicago was a motivating factor.

The other connection came through Harvard senior guard Xavier Nesbitt, a local product who attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. The Crimson coaching staff had previously discussed bringing him back to Hyde Park for a game at the Gerald Ratner Athletics Center.

Sunday’s contest marks just the third time UChicago has hosted a Division I opponent since leaving the Big Ten in 1946. It’s also only the 15th time since 2000 that a Division III program has hosted a Division I opponent in a regular-season matchup.

Where Academic Prestige Meets College Basketball

The ensuing contest reflects UChicago’s shared values with its D3 peers.

Founded in 1986, the UAA unites eight highly respected research universities, including Carnegie Mellon, Emory, New York University (NYU), Rochester and Washington University in St. Louis (WashU).

Harvard’s Ivy League affiliation provides a natural point of comparison. Like Division III, the conference doesn’t award athletic scholarships. Both prioritize the student-athlete experience and integrate athletics into campus life, core principles of the NCAA’s largest division, which includes more than 420 institutions.

Within that framework, UChicago has built an annual D3 title contender. The Maroons went 24-5 (11-3 UAA) last season, reached the national quarterfinals for the second time in program history and enter the 2026-27 campaign ranked No. 24 in the D3hoops.com poll.

McGrath, a Bartlett, Ill., native and DePauw graduate, has helped guide the Maroons to six NCAA tournament appearances and four conference titles.

We want to succeed in the classroom. We want vibrant campus lives, to be part of a collegiate atmosphere, and to win a national championship. We don’t shy away from talking about that.

Pit Propels Maroons’ Next College Basketball Chapter

UChicago faces a roster reset. The Maroons graduated seven student-athletes, including four starters, and return just 35.3% of their scoring. Only four returnees averaged more than 10 minutes per game: junior Daniel Cochran, senior guards Phillip Lawrence and Luke Smith, and senior forward Noah Pit.

Nevertheless, McGrath believes the returning players’ experience in expanded roles can provide a foundation for defensive improvement. UChicago ranked fourth nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and 50th defensively last season, according to D3 Datacast.

These metrics measure points scored and allowed per 100 possessions, respectively, while accounting for opponent strength.

Pit is among those poised for a breakout campaign, with room to contribute on both ends of the floor.

The 6-foot-7 Mendham, N.J., native averaged 5.9 points in 2025-26, shooting 28.4% from behind the arc. He’ll face a similarly sized Harvard frontcourt led by Thomas Batties II, who opened the campaign with 11 points and five rebounds in Monday’s win over MIT, another academically renowned Division III institution.

We’re really excited to play against a strong opponent projected to do well in their conference, much like we are in ours. It’s an awesome experience to sharpen ourselves and see what we’re capable of.

Pit has raised his game in the classroom, too. A season ago, he earned CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-UAA honors and a spot on the NABC Honors Court.

After completing a summer internship at Guggenheim Securities, he secured a full-time position with the firm when he graduates in June, illustrating the career opportunities McGrath hopes prospective Division III student-athletes recognize, even while watching a landmark college basketball matchup.

They’re not interested in renegotiating their NIL deal [at UChicago]. They’re interested in winning with their best friends, landing internships and jobs at places like Guggenheim, becoming the rock stars that they are.

UChicago hosts Harvard Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. CT, streaming live on FloCollege.