NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — The Yale football team returned to the practice field this week, ready to take on the new season — and perform a repeat as Ivy League conference champions.

Head Coach Tony Reno is confident of this year’s lineup.

“The great thing with this team is they really put last year behind them after Thanksgiving,” Reno said. “You know, they celebrated, had a week off of that, and then they put it behind them. It’s like, ‘Hey, we’re going to go, we want to go do something that hasn’t been done here in a long time.'”

Yale is the preseason pick to win the conference.

“We’re just going to focus one game at a time, practice at a time, stacking those practices,” said Dathan Hickey, a defensive back. “And like I said, if we do all that, do all the little things right, then the big things will take care of themselves.”

The season opens on Sept. 16 against the College of the Holy Cross.