TOKYO and PRINCETON, N.J. – After a successful first year in 2023, the University of Pennsylvania football team will send nine players to Tokyo, Japan for the second annual Dream Bowl, held on Saturday, January 20 at the National Stadium. The Ivy League squad will be led by Brown head coach James Perry and the Bears' coaching staff.
 
The team is comprised of senior and graduate student-athletes from all eight Ivy League programs. The Japan All-Star team will be a combined team of X League (Japan's top American football league) players, including nine Americans, college players and crossover sport athletes.
 
The Quakers' representation includes three seniors from the 2023 squad—OL Jake Ligos, DL Micah Morris and RB Jonathan Mulatu—and six alumni—OL Ben Hoitink '23, P Ben Krimm '23, LB Garrett Morris '23, LB Brian O'Neill '22, OL Trevor Radosevich '23 and DB Chris Rankins '23—who will head to Tokyo on Sunday to begin preparations for the game.
 
The Ivy League delegation will arrive in Tokyo on January 14 and balance its time between preparation for the game along with several Japanese cultural and educational events, including a planned visit to the historical city of Kamakura, a visit to the US embassy, interaction with Ivy League alumni, discussions with Japanese students and social exchanges with the Japanese team.
 
Kickoff is set for 11 p.m. EST in the United States (Sunday, January 21 at 1 p.m. JST locally) at the National Stadium, site of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The event will be broadcast live in Japan and on tape delay on ESPN+.
 
Last year, the Ivy League defeated the Japan All-Star team, 24-20, with former Penn running back Isaiah Malcome taking home MVP honors. Malcome rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown, adding 40 receiving yards.
 
This event is not unprecedented to Ivy League football as the Ivy Epson Bowl existed between 1989 and 1996. Like the Dream Bowl, the game matched up an Ivy League All-Star team against a Japanese All-Star squad.
 
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