The Ivy League held its annual virtual Media Day on Monday with each school getting two representatives and head coach for roughly 15 minutes each.

Here’s everything Tony Reno, Joshua Pitsenberger and Abu Kamara had to say:

Reno opening statement

“I’m really excited for this team and what they’ve done. Obviously, with our captain Joshua Pitsenberger and Abu Kamara, two guys who have been incredible leaders from, really from the end of last season to now. They’ve both been really…guys that have really led this team all summer and brought this team to where we are now. I’m really excited for where we’re going to go from here. I think when you look at your team I think the growth always starts in the summer. We had a great number of guys here this summer and they’ve grown, grown in so many ways. Our guys have done a great job in the weight room. Guys have done a great job in 7-on-7. Guys have been working together and growing in a lot of ways and growing together and competing. I think that’s one of the things we really pride ourselves in is competing. When you look at your team and say ‘oh, you know, if we can compete at high level in the summer, you feel good about where we’re going to be going from here.’ When you look at our team, offensively, our guys up front on the offensive line have had a lot of balance and have played really well for us the last couple of years.

“Obviously, Josh has been an incredible player for us in the skill positions and I think when you look at them and our guys on the offensive line, the offensive line is going to be leading us. Defensively, I think it kind of goes the same way. We have a lot of guys who have played a lot of downs for us and have had a lot of success for us over the last couple of years and they’re going to lead us. Whether it’s guys up front or guys like Abu and guys who have played a lot of plays for us defensively that are going to lead us. So, very excited about where we are and the growth the guys have made. I’m sure like anyone here on these calls, just excited to get this thing going.

“There’s also a guy I want to recognize – Mason Shipp – who was a big part of our opportunity to play in the playoffs. He was a huge piece of the Ivy League and obviously, a guy who is a big piece for the league and obviously for us to have that opportunity.”

Reno on his son Dante transferring in and the overall QB situation 

“I think it’s going to be very competitive. Obviously, we have guys who have been in the system for a while. I think Dante brings a high level at the position as well. Really excited for the competition that’s going to be in that room and the guys who have allowed us to play at a really high level. I think we’re really going to be able to up the ability in that room and really excited about that. Excited to see over the next few months where we go.”

Reno on replacing talent lost at wide receiver

“I think it’s going to be very competitive. Obviously, Mason Shipp, Jaxton Santiago, two guys who were really good players for us. Mason was incredible…very consistent for us. I think we have a couple guys that were backups last year, but I think we have a real high level of competition in the room. We have some guys who were freshman last year that didn’t have as much playing time…David Pantellis and Chase Nenad have grown a lot over the last five or six months. We’re really excited to see them grow.”

Reno on using defensive lapses last year as learning lessons this season

“I think it’s all part of the growth. Like in any position. Offense, defense, special teams…when you look back at the season and say ‘how do we grow in these positions?’ Part of our offense, defense and special teams…we’re very ready to go…we call it Yale vs. Yale. We have to grow and I think a lot of what we’ve done in the spring is really focus on those things and get better in those areas.”

Reno on losing and gaining players in the portal

“I think every year you look at your players and there might be a guy or two that might make a decision to move on. We also had a couple guys that joined us. Obviously excited about the guys who joined us and we wish the guys well who made a decision to move on.”

Reno on navigating the current landscape of CFB

“I think one of the things I’m most proud of is my players. You hear it from Josh and Abu, they speak of the brotherhood and how much they love playing together and…it’s about us. It’s about our guys and trying to play things at a high level and chase elite. That’s who we are. We’re a culture-driven team and that has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with Abu and Josh and all of the guys on our team who love playing together. I think that’s what makes us very different as a program.”

Reno on Ivy League teams getting to compete in the FCS postseason and if it changes the way coaches approach the season

“Not at all. Our focus is on day-to-day, week-to-week and we focus on one game at a time. Really, one thing that our team does so well is that we are so focused on us. We really don’t focus on opponents. We focus on us and we feel strongly that if we play ourselves on a week-to-week basis…whether it was last year or this year and we do it our way, we put ourselves in the best position possible.”

Pitsenberger on being Yale’s captain and how it changed how he approaches the game and leadership 

“It’s just a huge honor that – at the time – a team of 120 guys, guys that I considered brothers, guys that I respected to the utmost elected me to represent the team. Not even to consider the fact of the legacy of this program and the lineage of the captaincy, knowing it’s big responsibility for me and I have some big shoes to fill…but, you know, it just made me grow in a lot of different areas. Performing on the field is always something I was always able to do focusing on myself and getting better. But, it made me have to widen the lens a lot more, take accountability and consider everyone on the team. Just think outside of myself.”

Kamara on following up an outstanding defensive season in 2024

“I think one of my goals…growing myself as a player and growing the program, I think is bringing along the young guys. Helping the young guys out like, tremendously. I think it’ll help me not only grow as a leader, but help the defense. When we look at leadership, we usually look at it top-down. But, if we can go top-down and bottom-up as a defense and a s program, I think we can take tremendous strides.”

Pitsenberger on if the team talks about an Ivy championship

“As much as I loved being part of Team 151, our standard is to be an elite team and win championships. We fell short of that. But, the identity of this team is it’s a process driven team. We’re refocused and honing in on each moment in the process. We’re not thinking about outcomes, we’re thinking about the moment at hand. Right now, we’re focused on preparing for camp and then when camp comes, we’re going to focus on getting ready for the season. At the end of the day, if we can just win and dominate every single moment of the process, at the end of the day, someone’s going to hand us a trophy.”

Kamara on facing a league of great QBs

“I think week in and week out, we play…Ivy League, all eight teams have great quarterbacks. So, week in and week out we see tremendous talent, especially going into camp here. Like Coach Reno said, those guys in that quarterback room will be competing. So, we’ll see a bunch of talent here these next couple months in the Ivy League.”