6/22/2004 - Football
Navy Football Team Ranked 69th By Sporting News

NAVY FOOTBALL TEAM RANKED 69TH BY SPORTING NEWS

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-The Navy football team was ranked 69th in the country by the Sporting News Preseason Magazine. The Midshipmen return 41 letter winners and 15 starters from last year's squad that went 8-5, won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for the first time since 1981 and participated in a bowl game for the first time since 1996.

Notre Dame was Navy's highest rated opponent at No. 49, while Tulsa was the only other team on Navy's schedule rated higher than the Midshipmen coming in at 64th.

Air Force (74th), Tulane (77th), Rutgers (78th) and Vanderbilt (80th) are all rated within 11 spots of Navy, while Duke (93rd), Rice (95th) and Army (104th) are further back in the ratings.

The Mids will also play two Division-IAA opponents, defending National Champion Delaware and Northeastern, the only squad to beat Delaware a year ago.

Navy football season tickets are currently on sale at the Naval Academy Box Office in Ricketts Hall or by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY.