For the second season in a row, the University of Pennsylvania football team begins the season as the highest ranked Ivy League squad.
The Quakers were named 19th overall in Division 1-AA by the Sports Network's preseason rankings.
Last year, the Red and Blue posted a 10-0 record, and finished ranked 12th in 1-AA.
The program's highest ranking ever occurred last season, when the Sports Network's November 10th poll listed the Quakers as eighth overall.
"We like to think we run a pretty good program and the ranking lets us know that our fellow Division 1-AA programs recognize the success in recent history," Head Coach Al Bagnoli said in an interview with Athletic Communications.
Bagnoli and the Quakers will look to make history next season, as the squad will look to earn the program's fourth Ivy League crown in five years.
With a relatively young offensive that lost its leader - standout senior quarterback Mike Mitchell - the Red and Blue will look to their defense to secure yet another title.
Leading the defense will be the shut-down cornerback Duvol Thompson, who earned second-team-preseason All-American honors as announced by the Sports Network earlier this week.
The All Ivy defensive force led a youthful, yet dominant 2003 unit which allowed an Ivy-low 16.4 points per game, while surrendering only 326.1 yards per game - also an Ivy-best.
Thompson was one of only three Ivy preseason All-Americans, joining Yale teammates Rory Hennessey and Alvin Cowan, who earned first and second-team All-American offensive honors, respectively.
During the team's quest for an unprecedented fourth Ivy title in five years, the Quakers will face both preseason No.4 Villanova and No. 25 Harvard.
Other than Harvard, the only other Ivy team to earn a ranking higher than 72 was No. 32 Yale.
Princeton, who finished the 2003 campaign with a 2-8 record, was dubbed 77 by the Sports Network.
The Quakers will open the season at the University of San Diego. The Toreros, a Pioneer Football League squad, are coached by former NFL great Jim Harbaugh.
