In their first season under head coach Art Hillebrand, the Tigers compiled a perfect 11–0 record, shut out 10 of 11 opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 259 to 6.

However, Princeton was retroactively named as the national champion by the Billingsley Report, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate System, and Parke H. Davis, and as a co-national champion by the National Championship Foundation (NCF).

Three Princeton players were selected as consensus first-team players on the 1903 All-America team: halfback Dana Kafer; end Howard Henry; and guard John DeWitt.

[3] DeWitt was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

[4] Other notable players included end Ralph Tipton Davis.