The WIT Cup [Whatever It Takes!] is competed for annually in the Columbia – Navy MVL8 dual race.
Established by the Columbia Lightweight Class of 1998, the WIT Cup was earmarked for the winner of the annual Columbia – Rutgers MVL8 race. Periodically, Navy was a guest crew with Columbia and Rutgers in this WIT Cup event and in 2006, after the Rutgers program was defunded by their athletic department, the Columbia – Rutgers dual race went away.
The first Columbia – Navy WIT Cup race was rowed in 2014 and won by Columbia.
Due to a COVID-19 pandemic there were no races in 2020 and 2021.
Columbia leads the cup series 5-4.
The Columbia – Navy MVL8 Series
Columbia and Navy first competed in dual racing events in 1961. Navy won the inaugural MVL8 event.
Dual racing did not begin again until 1978, and throughout the MLV8 series, there were no dual races in 1980, 1981, 1991, 2001, 2002, 2020, and 2021.
Navy leads the MVL8 dual competition series 24 – 17
Please send any additional information regarding this competition to the NavyLights Staff Historian.
The MVL8 Series Record and WIT Cup Winning Crews
| Year | Winner | Series N – C |
Trophy N – C |
| 1961 | Navy | 1 – 0 | |
| 1978 | Navy | 2 – 0 | |
| 1979 | Navy | 3 – 0 | |
| 1980 | NO RACE | 3 – 0 | |
| 1981 | NO RACE | 3 – 0 | |
| 1982 | Navy | 4 – 0 | |
| 1983 | Navy | 5 – 0 | |
| 1984 | Columbia | 5 – 1 | |
| 1985 | Navy | 6 – 1 | |
| 1986 | Navy | 7 – 1 | |
| 1987 | Navy | 8 – 1 | |
| 1988 | Navy | 9 – 1 | |
| 1989 | Columbia | 9 – 2 | |
| 1990 | Columbia | 9 – 3 | |
| 1991 | NO RACE | 9 – 3 | |
| 1992 | Columbia | 9 – 4 | |
| 1993 | Navy | 10 – 4 | |
| 1994 | Navy | 11 – 4 | |
| 1995 | Navy | 12 – 4 | |
| 1996 | Columbia | 12 – 5 | |
| 1997 | Columbia | 12 – 6 | |
| 1998 | Columbia | 12 – 7 | |
| 1999 | Columbia | 12 – 8 | |
| 2000 | Columbia | 12 – 9 | |
| 2001 | NO RACE | 12 – 9 | |
| 2002 | NO RACE | 12 – 9 | |
| 2003 | Columbia | 12 – 10 | |
| 2004 | Navy | 13 – 10 | |
| 2005 | Navy | 14 – 10 | |
| 2006 | Navy | 15 – 10 | |
| 2007 | Navy | 16 – 10 | |
| 2008 | Navy | 17 – 10 | |
| 2009 | Navy | 18 – 10 | |
| 2010 | Navy | 19 – 10 | |
| 2011 | Navy | 20 – 10 | |
| 2012 | Columbia | 20 – 11 | |
| 2013 | Columbia | 20 – 12 | |
| 2014 | Columbia | 20 – 13 | 0 – 1 |
| 2015 | Columbia | 20 – 14 | 0 – 2 |
| 2016 | Columbia | 20 – 15 | 0 – 3 |
| 2017 | Navy | 21 – 15 | 1 – 3 |
| 2018 | Columbia | 21 – 16 | 1 – 4 |
| 2019 | Columbia | 21 – 17 | 1 – 5 |
| 2020 | NO RACE | 21 – 17 | 1 – 5 |
| 2021 | NO RACE | 21 – 17 | 1 – 5 |
| 2022 | Navy | 22 – 17 | 2 – 5 |
| 2023 | Navy | 23 – 17 | 3 – 5 |
| 2024 | Navy | 24 – 17 | 4 – 5 |
| 2025 |