ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell field hockey team was picked to finish fourth in the 2026 Ivy League Preseason Media Poll, the conference office announced on Tuesday.

Harvard was tabbed the preseason favorite, collecting 121 points and 10 first-place votes, with Princeton picked second (118 points, six first-place votes). Yale rounded out the top three at 84 points, with Cornell fourth at 74. Brown (66), Penn (53), Columbia (37) and Dartmouth (23) followed.

Cornell enters the season off an 11-4 campaign that saw the Big Red tie for third in the Ivy League at 4-3. The Big Red's four losses a season ago came against a group that included three NCAA Final Four participants, and both Harvard and Princeton picked ahead of Cornell in this year's poll reached the sport's final weekend in 2025, with Princeton advancing to the national championship game and Harvard reaching the national semifinal. The Big Red return the bulk of last year's production, including third-team All-American Uma Käding, who tied for the conference's regular-season goal-scoring lead with 11 tallies, and Julia Ramsey, who led the Ivy League in assists per game. Eight of Cornell's top nine scorers from 2025 are back on the roster, joined by the return of 2024 starters Martha Broderick and Polly Parsons.

Cornell opens the 2026 season on Friday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. against La Salle at Marsha Dodson Field. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.

2026 IVY LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY PRESEASON POLL
    Predicted Order of Finish (First Place Votes)
1. Harvard    121 (10)
2. Princeton    118 (6)
3. Yale    84
4. Cornell    74
5. Brown    66
6. Penn    53
7. Columbia    37
8.  Dartmouth    23