The defending NCAA Division III champion Cortland football team is ranked second nationally in the 2024 D3football.com preseason poll.

The Red Dragons finished 14-1 last fall and earned the program's first-ever national title. Cortland went 9-1 in the regular season, including a 6-0 Empire 8 record for its third straight league title. The Red Dragons proceeded to win five NCAA playoff games, four of which occurred away from home. Cortland won at Endicott, followed by a home win over Grove City and road victories at Alma and Randolph-Macon. The Red Dragons capped the season with a thrilling 38-37 win over top-ranked and 2022 national champion North Central College in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Salem, Va.
 
North Central, which also finished the season 14-1, is the top team in the preseason poll. The Cardinals received 14 of 25 first-place votes. Cortland received the other 11 first-place votes. Wisconsin-Whitewater, Wartburg and Mount Union round out the preseason top five.
 
Cortland begins the season at Hilbert College on Sept. 7 in an Empire 8 contest. Hilbert joins the Empire 8 this fall for one season before moving to the Liberty League in 2025. Cortland's home opener is Sept. 14 versus Lycoming College, and the Red Dragons will travel to Susquehanna University on Sept. 21 to face the River Hawks, who were the lone team to defeat Cortland last season.
 
Cortland plays its final six Empire 8 games in consecutive weeks beginning Oct. 5 at home versus Morrisville. The Red Dragons close the regular season at home versus 20th-ranked Ithaca in the annual Cortaca Jug rivalry game.
 
Five Red Dragons - Zac Boyes, Cody Aikey, Ryan Bitka, Jaden AlfanoStJohn and Joe Iadevaio - were selected to D3football.com's preseason All-America team on August 8.