Of the 365 colleges offering Division I athletics, eight stand out from the rest. Their student-athletes have received a unique distinction—some may call them masochists, but Division Ivy-Leaguers are in pursuit of their dreams, not self-destruction.
Juniors Frances Muir, Sam Peckham, and Lou Ruffien are poised to join this exclusive group of student-athletes in the years to come. In the 2026–27 school year, Peckham plans to play Men’s Ice Hockey at Cornell University, Muir plans to swim for Women’s Swimming and Diving at Harvard University, and Ruffien plans to play Women’s Soccer at Harvard University.
Though the National Collegiate Athletic Administration (NCAA) recruiting process tends to begin the summer before the prospect’s junior year, many athletes would tell you the dream begins much earlier. Ruffien began playing soccer at age four. Peckham began hockey “late” for Edina standards, enjoying skating lessons until his parents signed him up in Kindergarten. Muir takes the cake for the latest start, beginning to swim competitively at 11.
Last year, their dreams truly began to materialize. On Jan. I, the NCAA allows Division I men’s ice hockey coaches to maintain communication with sophomore prospects. On that same day, Peckham received a call from Augustana University. A week later, it was Minnesota State University, Mankato.
The big day for Ruffien and Muir was June 15. Even before these lines of communication opened, Ruffien had begun emailing schools. During her club season, college coaches and scouts dotted the sidelines at tournaments and regular season games but were unable to talk with players. “You don’t know who’s gonna call June 15,” Ruffien said. “And I got a lot [of calls] that I wasn’t even interested in. Harvard was someone that I didn’t even email. I didn’t think once about going to Harvard, but I took the call.”
In total, the numbers speak for themselves. 65 schools reached out to Ruffien, and nearly 50 to Muir. Peckham received a total of seven Division I offers. “All the coaches from all the teams were super gracious. I felt a lot of love from them. It was super nice. I really felt like a lot of my hard work paid off,” Peckham said.
Such abundant options required some narrowing down. For most Division I sports, prospective athletes can begin accepting official and unofficial visits on Aug. 1 before their junior year. Men’s ice hockey is a notable exception; unofficial visits can begin Jan. 1. Peckham made his first visit to Cornell University in July on his own time, returning in August for an official visit. “We had all meals with the coaches; I had lunch with a couple of the players,” he said. “I got to bring my family around the campus and the rink, it was so cool.”
Ruffien and Muir made their official visits to Harvard University once the school year had begun. They were flown out alone and picked up by coaches at the airport. Both roomed in dorms with freshmen members of the Harvard team, ate in the dining hall, attended classes, and spent time with the team and coaches. “I loved it so much,” Ruffien said. “The people were so different there. They were so mature and so smart. It felt like home.”
In spite of such positive first impressions for the athletes, many other schools had put on impressive showings. “Th[e decision] was really hard,” Ruffien said. “I kept making lists and lists and getting smaller and smaller. Then I got down to five schools, then I got down to [the University of] Michigan and Harvard, and I was 50/50 for both.”
Muir narrowed her options down to a short list: Harvard University, Princeton University, and University of Pennsylvania. “They are all really incredible schools. I could see myself literally anywhere… I had to take a step back and try to evaluate all that I gained from the experience on the visit,” Muir said.
As daunting as it sounds, there’s little anxiety amongst the commits about juggling rigorous academics with elite athletics. In actuality, it seems they may be better suited for these institutions than most.
“There’s a lot of questions that come up about, ‘How will you balance school and swim?’…. The general consensus is that you just get used to it. It becomes a part of your everyday life,” Muir said.
“Obviously it’s a little scary… but I feel like I could really relate to the elite aspects of it,” Ruffien said. “I’m very disciplined with soccer and homework, that’s all I do… I have a program every day; my soccer, my [club] soccer, my homework, and then extra work. I feel that’s gonna prepare me well.”
Evident in all of these athletes is their self-awareness. With all of their smarts and the various resources at their disposal, the high expectations of an Ivy League education aren’t lost on them. “I think it’s going to be a challenge,” Peckham said. “I know that going into it, but I’m the kind of person that sets goals for myself.”
When all is said and done, college is only a brief pit stop in the lives of these athletes. “The dream,” of course, is a professional career, particularly for Ruffien and Peckham, who chose their schools partially based on proximity to professional connections here and abroad. Peckham recognizes this dually important opportunity to go to an Ivy League school. “In terms of the future, I think there’s definitely both sides of the spectrum. You can’t go all in on one side. Pro hockey has been a goal of mine since I was a little kid, and that’s a big reason I chose Cornell. You’ve got a top 10 hockey program, but also the best academics. No matter what, I feel like I’ll be good,” he said.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on Dec. 19, 2024
