1. Harvard (8-2, 5-2 Ivy, Ivy League co-champions in 2024)
The Crimson, receiving 118 points and earning nine first-place votes, are the preseason favorite in the 2025 Ivy League Football Preseason Poll. After being Ivy League Champions for the last two seasons and netting a 5-2 conference record last season, Harvard’s top players plan to keep their winning streak alive. Notably, Harvard quarterback Jaden Craig threw 2,430 yards last season and made the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List and Phil Steele preseason All-Ivy League first team. Craig will strive to lead his Crimson teammates to glory in the upcoming season.
2. Dartmouth (8-2, 5-2, Ivy League co-champions in 2024)
Third time is the charm for the Big Green. In the past two seasons, Dartmouth has finished in the top three among the Ancient Eight — notably rising to the top as Ivy League co-champions with Harvard and Columbia last season. Starkly contrasting its 2022 season, when the Big Green was second to last in the conference, Dartmouth is in its comeback era, and it has been putting in the work: Its main theme for offseason camp was a “workmanlike and professional mentality towards every single day.” Dartmouth’s coaches have equally equipped themselves for a great season: Coach Don Dobes won the American Football Coaches Association’s National Assistant Coach of the Year last month after having led the team to five Ivy League championships. All in all, Dartmouth is fighting for another championship, and its grind in the offseason might just keep them at the top this season.
3. Yale (7-3, 4-3, fourth in the Ivy League in 2024)
The conference is gradually overwhelming the Bulldogs. In the last three years, Yale has dropped from first place to second place in the Ivy League and has added an Ivy League team to its losing record every season, going from 6-1 in 2022 to 4-3 last season. Though their conference record is not looking the best, the Bulldogs won every game in nonconference play last season, ending the season on a three-game win streak. Yale hopes to continue this high this season by making some necessary changes. For its special teams unit, the Bulldogs are filling the punter and snapper positions with Rice transfer punter Reese Keeney and second-string long snapper Joey Fortner, respectively. These two will aid in the team’s journey to lead the Ancient Eight.
4. Columbia (7-3, 5-2, Ivy League co-champions in 2024)
In 2023, the Lions won a single conference game. Last year, Columbia climbed to the top of the standings and was crowned Ivy League champions for the first time since 1961. The once “perennial football losers” are now the ones with a target on their backs.
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Rankings don’t tell the whole story, especially for this team. Ahead of the 2024 season, the Lions were dead last in the polls, yet finished at the top of the league. While the team must now account for the departure of numerous offensive stars — including the All-Ivy selections wide receiver Bryson Canty now playing for Kansas and former Lions running back Joey Giorgi, who graduated in Columbia’s Class of 2025 — the Lions have brought head coach Jon Poppe back for his second season at the helm of this program and a strong quarterback room.
5. Princeton (3-7, 2-5, tied for last in the Ivy League in 2024)
Since 2021, the Princeton Tigers have steadily declined in their conference rankings. From placing second in 2021 to finishing last in the 2024 season, the Tigers are looking for a comeback. Having lost three seniors to the transfer portal to optimize their final year of NCAA eligibility, Princeton will be relying on its remaining players to bridge the gap. On top of that, the 2024 season was the first since 2011 where the Tigers had more losses than wins. Nevertheless, the Tigers may roar again this season as they focus on their key players, quarterback Blaine Hipa and linebacker Marco Scarano. It is clear that Princeton will not let its faults last year define it. Will that be enough?
6. Penn (4-6, 2-5, tied for last in the Ivy League in 2024)
The Quakers are ready to dominate. Having found themselves in the bottom half of the Ancient Eight for two years, Penn football is looking for a repeat of the 2022 season where they finished tied for second in the Ivy League with rival Princeton. The Quakers will be led by their four captains this season, especially senior quarterback Liam O’Brien. After historic performances when he took the field in place of injured then-senior quarterback Aidan Sayin last season, O’Brien’s name is well known around Franklin Field. With the help of O’Brien and his hardworking teammates, Penn might just triumph again in the 2025 season.
7. Cornell (4-6, 3-4, fifth in the Ivy League in 2024)
Cornell fans, players, and coaches are desperate for their days in the sun. Since 2004, the Big Red have had big struggles, consistently ranking in the bottom half of the Ivy League and not having a winning record in conference play since 2005. Nonetheless, they persist. Looking ahead to the upcoming season, two Cornell football players — wide receiver Samuel Musungu and tight end Ryder Kurtz — were named to the 2025 FCS Football Central Preseason All-America Team. Musungu was also named to the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List, and both players’ accolades speak to the Big Red’s odyssey toward the top four this season.
8. Brown (3-7, 2-5, tied for last in the Ivy League in 2024)
It’s been has a struggle as of late for the Bears. Last season, Brown finished with a losing record in Ancient Eight for the 13th-straight season. But there was a shining light amid the darkness in Brown running back Matt Childs. The reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year finished the season averaging four yards per attempt and about 40 yards per game on the ground from nine games. Childs also was the only Ivy League player to be named a finalist for the Jerry Rice award. He returns this year to support the Bears’ quest for a winning season.
