Ivy League Complete Week 1 Release

Portions of this story courtesy of Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth Athletics Communications; Cornell, Harvard, Penn, Princeton Athletic Communications; Yale Sports Publicity

PRINCETON, N.J. -- #IvyFootball is here.

The 2017 Ivy League football season opens on Saturday, with all eight teams in action. Last year's co-champions Penn and Princeton are among the four teams whose games will be broadcast live on the Ivy League Network (ILN), now available on Apple TV, Roku and the ILN app. The Quakers’ game against Ohio Dominican will be simulcast on The Comcast Network, while the Tigers’ matchup with San Diego will also be carried live on Eleven Sports.

Princeton, which claimed its second title in the past four years last season, was picked to finish first in the preseason poll along with Harvard, which has six Ivy League titles over the past 10 years. The two-time defending champion Quakers was selected third with five first-place votes, setting up what should be another exciting #IvyFootball campaign.

BROWN
2016 Record: 4-6, 3-4 Ivy (t-4th)
Preseason Poll: 6th
Season Opener: Saturday, Sept. 16, 12:30 p.m. vs. Bryant (ILN)

The journey begins for Brown's 140th season of intercollegiate football with 20th year head coach Phil Estes. Among the many highlights on the Bears' 2017 schedule is a Nov. 10 home match-up against Dartmouth at historic Fenway Park. Brown will be led by team captains senior defensive end Richard Jarvis and junior linebacker Isaiah Thompkins. In 2016, Jarvis led the Ivy League and ranked ninth nationally in tackles for a loss with 18.5, and ranked 24th nationally in forced fumbles (3). He has started 20 straight games for the Bears and has 101 career tackles. Thompkins registered 34 overall tackles in 2016, including four for a loss. He also intercepted a pass against Cornell in 2016, and has played in 18 career games for the Bears.

COLUMBIA
2016 Record: 3-7, 2-5 Ivy (t-6th)
Preseason Poll: 7th
Season Opener: Saturday, Sept. 16, 1 p.m. vs. Wagner (ILN/SNY)

The Lions return 13 starters (seven on offense and six on defense) and 61 letterwinners to a youthful and talented team that finished 3-7 overall and tied for a sixth-place finish in the Ivy League with a 2-5 record. The 2016 Lions concluded their season with a victory at Brown, while five of their seven losses were decided by 10 or fewer points. Three All-Ivy picks return in sophomore placekicker Oren Milstein, senior defensive back Cameron Roane and senior defensive lineman Lord Hyeamang. Additionally, Columbia will return players who accounted for 88 percent (162 of 185) of its points scored, 82 percent (1,651 of 2,014) of its passing yards, 51 percent (1,037 of 2,014) of its receiving yards, 60 percent (3 of 5) of its starters on the offensive line and 49 percent (333 of 680) of its tackles in 2016.

CORNELL
2016 Record: 4-6, 2-5 Ivy (t-6th)
Preseason Poll: 8th
Season Opener: Saturday, Sept. 16, 3:30 p.m. at Delaware

The Big Red’s 130th football team will take on a Delaware team that is receiving votes in the national polls on Saturday. Cornell has an all-time season-opener record of 92-33-4 (.729), including 2-2 under fifth-year head coach and former Cornell standout offensive lineman David Archer. The Big Red and Delaware are two storied college football programs, both ranking among the top 15 all-time in wins among FBS programs (Delaware, 8th with 682; Cornell, 13th with 636). Senior safety Nick Gesualdi earned All-America honors a year ago and leads a defense that returns nine starters. The Big Red expects to have an explosive offense, as running back Chris Walker (All-Ivy first team) and quarterback Dalton Banks (All-Ivy honorable mention) — both juniors — highlight that side of the ball.

DARTMOUTH
2016 Record: 4-6, 1-6 Ivy (8th)
Preseason Poll: 5th
Season Opener: Saturday, Sept. 16, 6 p.m. at Stetson (ESPN3)

Dartmouth had an odd season last year, sweeping its non-conference foes, including a victory over 22nd-ranked New Hampshire for the first time in 40 years and a win over Towson, only to stumble to a 1-6 finish against the Ivy League (two losses by two points and another by three) to finish eighth. Yet the Big Green offense finished first in the league in passing offense and second in total yards and returns nine starters, including senior quarterback Jack Heneghan who threw for the third-most yards in Dartmouth history last year (2,725). The defense brings back six starters, highlighted by two of the team’s captains, fifth-year lineman Jeremiah Douchee and senior nickelback Kyran McKinney-Crudden.

HARVARD
2016 Record: 7-3, 5-2 Ivy (3rd)
Preseason Poll: T-1st
Season Opener: Saturday, Sept. 16, 1 p.m. at Rhode Island

Harvard opens its 144th season, looking to win its sixth-straight season opener. Seven returning Crimson earned All-Ivy honors in 2016, led by first team selection junior Justice Shelton-Mosley. Seniors Luke Hutton and Raishaun McGhee, along with junior DJ Bailey and sophomore Jake McIntyre received second team laurels, while senior Tanner Lee and junior Adam Scott notched honorable mention recognition. On offense, the Crimson returns its leading passer (Joe Viviano), rusher (senior Semar Smith) and receiver (Shelton-Mosley). Defensively, Hutton and Lee will lead the unit that was among the nation's best in scoring defense and rushing defense a year ago. Hutton paced the Crimson with 56 tackles and Lee had a team-best four interceptions in 2016. Harvard is receiving votes in both the STATS FCS and FCS Coaches national polls.

PENN
2016 Record: 7-3, 6-1 Ivy (t-1st)
Preseason Poll: 3rd
Season Opener: Saturday, Sept. 16, 1 p.m. vs. Ohio Dominican (ILN/TCN)

Quakers head coach Ray Priore has two Ivy League titles in as many seasons as head coach, just the second coach in Ivy League history to accomplish the feat. Penn is 14-6 overall during Priore's first two seasons and 12-2 in the Ivy League, the best mark in League play over the past two campaigns. Co-champions the past two seasons, Penn will be looking to add to its Ivy-leading 13 outright and all-time matching 18 overall championships in 2017. The Quakers return 19 starters from a season ago, including eight on defense and six on offense. Among the returners are 10 All-Ivy recipients from last season, including three first-team choices in senior Justin Watson, two-time All-American and two-time finalist for Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, along with senior running back Tre Solomon and senior defensive lineman Louis Vecchio. Penn is receiving votes in the latest STATS FCS national poll.

PRINCETON
2016 Record: 8-2, 6-1 Ivy (t-1st)
Preseason Poll: T-1st
Season Opener: Saturday, Sept. 16, 12 p.m. vs. San Diego (ILN/Eleven Sports)

The 149th season of Princeton football begins Saturday against Pioneer League champion San Diego. The Tigers led the Ivy League last season in total/scoring/rushing offense and total/scoring/rushing defense. Princeton’s offense will be led by returning senior quarterback Chad Kanoff, who stands in fifth-place on the Tigers’ all-time passing list, needing just 238 yards to move into third-place, passing Jeff Terrell and current Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. In front of Kanoff will be three lineman who have started at least 10 games, highlighted by senior Mitchell Sweigart, who earned first-team All-Ivy last year. On defense, senior defensive lineman Kurt Holuba returns; he was a finalist for Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and a third-team All-American a season ago. Among returning Princeton players this season, Holuba led the team in tackles, sacks, tackles for loss, and interceptions last season. The Tigers are receiving votes in the STATS FCS national poll.

YALE
2016 Record: 3-7, 3-4 Ivy (t-4th)
Preseason Poll: 4th
Season Opener: Saturday, Sept. 16, 12:30 p.m. at Lehigh (PLN)

The 145th season of Yale football kicks off Saturday at Lehigh, which started the season ranked No. 17 in the country before suffering losses to Villanova (No. 7) and Monmouth (RV). The Bulldogs welcome back a pair of 2015 first-team All-Ivy recipients in seniors defensive back Spencer Rymiszewski and defensive lineman Copache Tyler, who each missed last season due to injuries. Rymiszewski was voted captain by his teammates and has 26 starts, 129 tackles and six interceptions under his belt. Also back for Yale is 2016 second-team All-Ivy honorees seniors Jason Alessi (defensive back), and Karl Marback (offensive lineman). Sophomore quarterback Kurt Rawlings became the starter towards the end of the season and led the Bulldogs to the win over Harvard.