The New Haven Chargers have announced their 2025 football schedule, which will be their first as a member of Division I.
On May 6, the University of New Haven announced it had accepted an invitation to join the Northeast Conference (NEC) in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). At the time, it was stated that all of New Haven’s athletics teams, except football, would integrate into NEC schedules for the 2025-26 season.
That integration has apparently changed, as the Chargers dropped a completely new football schedule on Thursday that includes seven FCS opponents, three of which are members of the NEC. New Haven will be considered an FCS Transitional team in 2025, basically an Independent, so its games will not count in the league standings.
New Haven opens the 2025 season with three consecutive road games, beginning on Friday, Aug. 29 against the Marist Red Foxes. The Chargers will then visit the Mercyhurst Lakers on Sept. 6 and the UAlbany Great Danes on Sept. 13.
New Haven will break the seal on its home slate at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium in New Haven, Conn., on Sept. 20 when it host the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals. The Chargers will then return to the road to face the Duquesne Dukes on Sept. 27.
Back-to-back home contests are next as the Pace Setters and Western Connecticut State Wolves (WestConn) visit New Haven on Oct. 4 and Oct. 11, respectively.
Following an open date, the Chargers hit the road for consecutive games against the LIU Sharks on Oct. 25 and the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Nov. 1.
New Haven concludes its inaugural Division I season at home on Nov. 8 against the Merrimack Warriors.
Below is New Haven’s complete schedule for the 2025 season, plus a link to their schedule page which will be updated with kickoff times and TV as they are announced:
2025 New Haven Football Schedule
08/29 – at Marist (Fri.)
09/06 – at Mercyhurst
09/13 – at UAlbany
09/20 – Saginaw Valley State
09/27 – at Duquesne
10/04 – Pace
10/11 – WestConn
10/18 – OFF
10/25 – at LIU
11/01 – at Sacred Heart
11/08 – Merrimack
New Haven will enter the 2025 season under interim head coach Mark Powell, who was named to the position on May 12 after Chris Pincince was let go. Powell was previously the defensive coordinator at New Haven under Pincince from 2022 through 2024.
Why? Is the NEC trying to flood the FCS with all these D II and new start teams just to ruin the subdivision. That whole conference needs to shift to D III and stop adding more of the same garbage. All this conference is at the end of the day is a means of providing a bye week to a CAA team to make it to round two of the playoffs. I missed the announcement that New Haven moved to the NEC, but then again, I didn’t miss a thing. Actually, I saw they dropped off the schedules for the NE 10 teams and I thought maybe they were ending their football program, which is a viable alternative to joining the NEC.
With both St. Francis’ moving to D3 and Merrimack and Sacred Heart moving to the MAAC for hoops, they needed to add D2 schools to stay afloat. If the Northern CAA schools break off to form America East football, no doubt CCSU and possibly Stonehill will leave which would potentially kill the conference. Maybe they lose their automatic bid to the FCS Tournament? With Richmond and W&M leaving the CAA for the Patriot, the Patriot will likely be the top conference in the East, especially if Colgate and Fordham can get bring their programs back to prominence.
I disagree 100 percent. Moving to FCS helps New Haven’s appeal. I think schools moving to FBS might prove to be unwise, but D2 to FCS….not a problem.
I love the fact they they added games vs UAlbany and Marist. Both of those opponents now have 12 games.
This is the first article about UNH where I’ve seen the phrase “let go” in reference to Chris Pincince. Do we have a public announcement about WHY yet, or is this a hush-hush (or am I just out of the loop out here in Rocky Mountain country)? It’s seemed like an extremely odd and awkward time to change, unless (as most of you have pointed out regarding the schedule changes) it’s been in the works for a while now.
Looks like the Sacred Heart/Mercyhurst game was cancelled, as both schools have now added New Haven to their schedules. Marist, Albany, Duquesne, LIU, and Merrimack have all now added a 12th game.
P.S. There are only 8 FCS schools that have not scheduled a 12th game: Villanova, Morgan State, St. Francis, Dayton, Drake, Jackson St., Texas Southern, and West Georgia. The only ones that I could see scheduling each other are Morgan State and St. Francis, but I doubt that will happen this late. If any of those schools are going to add a 12th game, it will be against a D2 or lower school.
@Evan There is no requirement to play 12 games. This year, and last, FCS teams could schedule 12 games, which happens occasionally. This is because the regular season schedule ends the Saturday before Thanksgiving and some years the start week for the schedule can shift allowing this option. The only thing that they are worried about is having enough wins to qualify for the playoffs, and from your list, the only school worried about a post season spot is Villanova. The rest of them wouldn’t make the post-season with a 14 game schedule. Also, that win total only includes wins against D-I programs, so adding a D-II game is not going to benefit a program, but it can hurt their position with the selection committee.
This announcement just shows how this move was all planned and set well in advance to the announcement and why so many schools had only 11 games on the schedule because they all knew what was going on just no one wanted to announce it.
I don’t know about that. A few of those teams (Marist, Duquesne etc) only played 11 games last year despite it being a 12-game FCS season. I’m surprised that Villanova didn’t try to pick up a game since it’s Week 1 game against Morgan State got cancelled kind of late.
NEC schools knew this was going to happen for a while and contracts and even contracts for games don’t come together that quickly and canceling games doesn’t come that quickly. Obviously New Haven knew they were making the move as well which would get them started on contracts as well for sports coming up because the athletic season begins in two months.
Everything was all planned out well before the announcement was made. They were just waiting the official word before everything moved forward. Not saying that is bad thing or anything but reacting as this is shocking or new news isn’t really true as everything has been going on behind the scenes.
That is my only point.
@Ryan, I disagree Ryan. Why did the rest of the teams in the NE10 have New Haven on their schedule already if they knew they were moving? They need to fill in those games, more so than an FCS team needs to have a 12 game schedule in a year that it is an option. Your theory also doesn’t meet why Sacred Heart and Mercyhurst reworked to cancel their game and both add New Haven.
I think the NCAA needs to step in here and put a cutoff point on when teams can move around. Last year, it was Stephen F. Austin leaving the UAC about this time to go back to the Southland. That cost Montana State a game which they filled in with Mercyhurst, which was about as good for them as playing an NAIA team.
If New Haven would not have made the move, none of these teams that end up with 12 games would have been worried about it, they scheduled the games to help fill out New Haven’s schedule, which is why they should have waited a year to move up.
What are they benefitting by moving up now? Playoff eligibility? They won’t make the playoffs after 10 years at this level. Like Andrew said, go back and look at the teams that only scheduled 11 a year ago, there were plenty of them. The entire Ivy League plays only 10 and that has nothing to do these teams not playing the post season, they would do that regardless.
Looking forward to Chicago State cougars in 2026.
Before Dan Rankow gets on here, let me sum up his post for everyone:
As a New Haven Fan and Fan of NEC Football, I’m glad to see the team coming up from D2. I’m a fan of them and you should be, too!
Z-man, I hate that you post and have an unreasonable reaction to your posts for every article response.
Sidenote: I know this is a college football post, but I will still say something about the NFL…Oh yeah, all teams are my favorite.
“Oh yeah, all teams are my favorite.”
Said no one ever
You forgot about “I would like to see them at 3:30 on CBS”
FB1 & Vinny I would never post NEC game request on CBS at 3:30PM actually When I say that I want to see Washington at Michigan to be on CBS at 3:30PM it’s a mock schedule I do it for fun of it before real thing come, plus I have that experience with it when I do Mock NFL Draft every year.
FB1 I am blessed & happy that you are a Fan of New Haven & NEC Football & I will respect it & hope you do not mind me liking Mercyhurst Lakers this year & next year living in Chicagoland area looking forward to Chicago State Cougars coming to NEC.
I really do my very best to respect others who have favorite CFB teams that they are Fans of & as a Michigan Wolverines Fan I respect those who are Fans of Ohio State Buckeyes.
FB1 I like to credit you for dislikement of Z-Man plus Z-man is a bigot towards South most passionate CFB Fans which is sad plus Z-Man is a very mean & selfish person also sad for somebody that is severely autistic who acts like a Bozo.
Please stop the personal attacks and keep the discussion to football, please.
Gotta think that at some point we get a Mayor’s Cup Game between Yale and New Haven, if smarmy Yale needs it.
This is good for New England football and good for Northeast football
We also need a New Haven/New Hampshire matchup: the battle of UNH
Evan
I like that one.
I like to give both John & Evan credit for ideas for future Football meetings Excellent work Gentlemen!!!
Maybe if the Ivy goes to 11 games. With the Ivy now participating in the FCS playoff, Yale (and other Ivy schools), may wa to beef up their OOC schedules in hopes of landing an at large bid. I know they have a long series with Holy Cross. They may try and see if UConn would be open to playing them again. They played each other a few years ago. I’d expect a CAA, SoCon, or another upper tier Patriot opponent as targets for their schedule. I don’t think they’d “lower” themselves to play a crosstown opponent they think is beneath them.
The best thing about a move to Division I is that New Haven scores will now get to appear regularly on the ESPN bottom crawl during football & basketball season.
Always been a fan of bottom crawl ticker Pop W.
I think Ivy has to go to 11 if they want at large berths to the FCS playoffs
12 would be excellent for Ivy League large FCS berth however I would be open for 11 do not mind bit of debate as long we have fun.