How football and funny cardboard signs helped this Ivy League team win its first NCAA Tournament game

Players and coaches on the Columbia bench hold up signs with different images during their First Four NCAA Tournament game against Washington in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on March 20, 2025. | Mitchell Northam / SB Nation

Columbia’s Megan Griffith embraced an idea from college football. It has offered clarity for the Lions and misdirection for their opponents.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — It was easy for eyes to wander to different places in Carmichael Arena on Thursday night as the Columbia...