The Ivy League often produces professional baseball and football players, but the league is not known for its soccer.
And one of Penn's own, Artie Bartholomew, was signed by Miami F.C. He joins a team that boasts talent from around the world, including Brazilian soccer legend Romario, who helped his national team to World Cup glory in 1994.
This setting seems quite appropriate for the Penn alumnus, who has already played professionally with the Harrisburg City Islanders and in Belgium.
By the age of 12, Bartholomew had already started to become a dedicated soccer player.
"I was lucky enough to go to the IMG Academy to play soccer in a pro environment during high school," he said, referring to a prestigious high school aimed at teaching soccer.
As a midfielder at Penn, Bartholomew led the team in assists his last year and was constantly a strong presence on the field. Bartholomew spent his first year at the University of Washington before transferring to Penn, where he played for his final three years.
However, Bartholomew said he found it hard to fit in with the Penn team.
"At Penn, I didn't have a good experience, so that just encouraged me to finish school a year early because I wasn't getting younger or better," he said.
Penn coach Rudy Fuller said he didn't find it surprising when Bartholomew decided to turn professional in 2005, especially because he says he has always seen the potential in his former player to become a professional athlete even while at Penn.
"He was a very passionate kid, and he was always one of our fittest players," Fuller said. "And so it certainly doesn't surprise me he is pursuing playing professionally."
Fuller says that all along, Bartholomew expressed a desire to play at the next level. According to Fuller, opposing teams found Bartholomew very difficult to handle on the field because of his great fitness and athleticism.
Following graduation, Bartholomew played for four months in Belgium, where he had the opportunity to face many great European soccer players.
"It was more than the lore of soccer tradition and more money that brought me over there," Bartholomew said of the experience gained by playing the elite European players.
Bartholomew was recruited by Miami after a scout saw him in action. He says he feels his current squad is building a strong team -- its owners are putting in the effort to create a good blend of both American and foreign players.
Bartholomew is happy to have signed with Miami and is having a great time making friends with his new teammates.
After a preseason training trip to Brazil, the players have gotten to know each other pretty well. Although they spend most of their time training, they also hang out with one another. But in the end they say they are very motivated to be organized and ready for the beginning of the season.
After undergoing knee surgery on March 3, Bartholomew is focused on recovering enough to be 100 percent again for the start of the season. As a central midfielder, he hopes he will be able to make an impact in that role.
As for his new life as a professional, Bartholomew does feel there is a big difference between playing collegiate soccer and soccer at the professional level.
"Pro players are bigger, faster, more technical and more committed," Bartholomew said. "The first thing you notice is that people try harder. You get paid if you win, and you don't get paid if you lose. That really gets guys going. ... You don't lose a scholarship if you lose [in college], so the mentality is very different."
Despite everything that has happened in the past year, Bartholomew still speaks fondly of his days with the Quakers, and says he truly enjoyed Penn and the people that made his college experience what it was.
"Penn was a lot of fun. I miss it," Bartholomew said. "I really enjoyed my whole time there ... friends, school, going out."
But as much as his experience at Penn may have been valuable, taking his game to a whole new level is what Bartholomew has always been working towards, and now he has the opportunity.
