LANCASTER, PA – Johns Hopkins grabbed five first-place votes and totaled 35 points to earn the top spot in the 2023 Centennial Conference Preseason Football Poll of the league's head coaches it was announced today.  The Blue Jays grab the top spot in the poll for the 13^th time in the last 14 seasons and the 16^th time since 2004.  Johns Hopkins, which posted a 10-1 record in 2022, went on to win the Centennial title in 12 of the previous 15 years in which it topped the preseason poll, including a streak of 10 consecutive seasons from 2009-2018.
 
Muhlenberg grabbed the two remaining first-place votes and totaled 30 points to rank second in the poll, while Ursinus (27 points), Franklin & Marshall (22) and Dickinson (16) round out the top five.  Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team when casting their ballot.

With a share of its most recent title in 2021, Johns Hopkins has won a league-record 15 Centennial Conference titles with all 15 coming since 2002.  Included among the 15 are outright titles in 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 and shared titles in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2017, 2018 and 2021.  The Centennial Conference did not compete in 2020 (COVID) which means the Blue Jays have claimed at least a share of 15 of the last 20 league titles.
 
Johns Hopkins will open the 2023 season on Saturday, September 2 at home against Ithaca to jump-start a four-game non-conference run before league play starts on October 6 against Gettysburg.  The season-opening game against the Bombers will feature a pair of teams that have drawn multiple preseason national rankings;  of note, Ithaca is ranked eighth in the D3football.com Preseason Poll, while the Blue Jays are 18^th.  This will be the first-ever meeting between Johns Hopkins and Ithaca in football.
 
2023 Centennial Conference Preseason Football Poll
1. Johns Hopkins (5 First-Place Votes) – 35 points
2. Muhlenberg (2) – 30
3. Ursinus – 27
4. Dickinson – 22
5. Franklin & Marshall – 16
6. Gettysburg – 10
7. McDaniel - 7