WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Head coach Mike Sirianni and members of the Washington & Jefferson football team will travel to Italy at the end of May for international competition against the Ancona Dolphins.

The Presidents will depart from Pittsburgh International Airport on Sunday, May 22 and return home on Wednesday, June 1.

Upon landing in Rome on Monday, May 23, the Presidents will take a walking tour of the "Eternal City," including sites like the Pantheon and Roman Colosseum, before settling in to their hotel for the evening.

Tuesday, May 24 and Wednesday, May 25 will feature a stay in the Tuscany region of the country in Siena, Montecatini Terme and Florence. At 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 26, the team will practice before departing for Bologna.

Friday, May 27 will feature a trip to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, before traveling to San Marino on Saturday, May 28, the day before the game. On Sunday morning, May 29, the team will travel to Ancona at 4 p.m. to take on the Ancona Dolphins, who compete in the Italian Football League Division I, as well as the Italian Federation of American Football.

The following day, the team will make its way back to Rome. There, the squad will tour Vatican City and have a chance to visit the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica firsthand. The final day in Italy, Tuesday, May 31, will include some final site seeing before departing back for the United States on Wednesday, June 1.

Members of the coaching staff traveling include: head coach Mike Sirianni, defensive coordinator Shawn Rohrer, offensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Todd Young and intern assistant coach Ian Hennessy. The staff, along with associate athletic director/head athletic trainer Mark Lesako, head athletic trainer Mike Lesako and equipment manager Richard Stevens, will oversee 45 players making the journey.

The NCAA allows member institutions to participate in foreign tours for each sport once every three years. The tour should be scheduled during the summer-vacation period between the institution's spring and fall terms or during any other vacation period published in the institution's official catalog. All travel to and from the foreign country must take place during such a vacation period. 
 
In August 2015, the W&J women's basketball traveled to Costa Rica for an international experience, while the men's soccer squad traveled through England and Spain in August of 2007, including a match at Victory Field located below the Rock of Gibraltar.  

W&J football opens up the 2016 regular season at Cameron Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 3 against Wooster at 1 p.m.