Dear M:

You wrote:
> Which is the more correct way in which to express this sports text, either
using the hyphen or the virgule?
>
> Harvard vs. Yale/Brown/Princeton
>
> or
>
> Harvard vs. Yale-Brown-Princeton
>
In informal usage, the virgule means “or.” The hyphen joins and would suggest a joint team from the three schools. So the first would mean “Harvard versus Yale, Brown, or Princeton.” The second would mean “Harvard versus Yale,
Brown, and Princeton combined.” It would depend on what you meant. In most instances, for example, seeding in a tournament, the first would be used–i.e., “Harvard will play either Yale, Brown, or Princeton.”