The Sacred Heart Pioneers football team will join the CAA on July 1, 2026, the league announced Tuesday.
The Pioneers join the circuit after becoming an FCS independent in 2024 following nearly 25 seasons in the Northeast Conference (NEC). The remainder of the school’s sports teams compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
“We are pleased to welcome Sacred Heart University as the newest member of the conference,” CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio said. “In an ever-changing landscape across collegiate athletics and in FCS football, Sacred Heart is committed to competing at the highest level and striving for championships. Sacred Heart is a great fit for the conference academically and geographically, and we look forward to what they will bring to the CAA.”
“Joining the CAA begins an exciting new chapter for our university. This move not only strengthens our commitment to athletic excellence, but it also aligns us with institutions that share our values in academics, competition and community,” said SHU President Dr. John Petillo. “We look forward to new rivalries, greater exposure and the incredible opportunities the CAA brings for our student-athletes and fans. SHU football has been a great source of pride as well as a galvanizing element for our community. We’ve been inspired by many of the accomplishments of Pioneers on the football field.”
“We are excited to compete with the outstanding CAA football programs. We fully intend to contribute to the legacy of this great conference with integrity, grit and with the Pioneering spirit that defines Sacred Heart,” said Judy Ann Riccio, Sacred Heart’s Executive Director of Athletics.
“At Sacred Heart University, our football program is dedicated to developing student-athletes through a commitment to excellence both on and off the field,” said Mark Nofri, Head Coach of SHU Football. “Joining the CAA elevates that mission to a new level. We’re thrilled to compete in one of the nation’s premier conferences and look forward to making a lasting impact on its proud tradition.”
With the addition of Sacred Heart, the CAA will boast 13 football members in 2026. The Pioneers join Albany, Bryant, Campbell, Elon, Hampton, Maine, Monmouth, New Hampshire, North Carolina A&T, Rhode Island, Stony Brook, and Towson.
This makes less sense than them going independent, but at the end of the day, the CAA gets a little weaker still.
I was thinking the same. I’m happy for SHU, but this does nothing to improve the conference. Plus, it means the CAA will have 13 football members, and having an odd number of teams creates a scheduling nightmare, because some schools will have very early or very late byes.
I wonder what this means for Merrimack.
Very good points Evan. The Big Sky just announced that they will be going to a 9 game schedule next year with 13 teams. Problem is, when you have an odd number of teams and you play an odd number of games, only 12 teams play 9 games. Raises the question of what you do team one goes 8-1 and team two goes 7-1, do you give the conference title to team one based on higher winning percentage? That’s going to end up in court in todays world.
I don’t think that’s the issue. Everyone can play the same amount of games. It just sucks to play for 10, 11, or even 12 consecutive weeks without a bye.
I’m talking conference schedule when I say 9 games. The Big Sky is going to play 9 because geography is such that it is more difficult in the west to play four OOC games in a 12 game schedule than 3 games. The math doesn’t work however, and when you have an odd number of teams, you can have all the teams play 8 or 10 games within the conference, but if you only have 9 games, one team can’t play 9, they must play 8 or 10. The plan is to rotate the team playing 8 games.
JM, it likely indicates that CAA expects another defection (W&M to the Patriot?), and or will also pick up Merrimack. I’m sure by July 2026 they will be at 12 or 14 teams.
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Up here at UMaine, we are fine with adding more New England teams… reduces the distance of travel…
JM, yes, I know you are talking about conference games. The math still works. You can play an odd amount of league games with an odd amount of teams. The only thing is that an odd number of teams will have to have a bye or play a non-conference game on any given week.
I’m sure you are fine adding more weak teams since you stand to gain and haven’t seen the playoffs since 2018. I would kind of like to another home and home with you guys like 03 and 04, it felt like Montana and Maine had commonalities in schools and lifestyles. That travel going to/from Missoula and from/to Orono is even more challenging. We don’t have the choice of tightening up the footprint that as much as you looking for nearer teams in the Northeast, which is a huge reason the Big Sky can’t make too many trips overall of that kind of distance.
JM, I stand corrected. One team will have to play 8 games, while the rest will play 9: https://406mtsports.com/college/big-sky-conference/university-of-montana/why-big-sky-conference-is-moving-to-9-game-league-schedule-for-football-in-2026/article_f8be47aa-bbe5-4bb3-ac69-4de8b1fe308f.html#:~:text=The%20increase%20from%20eight%20to,beginning%20in%20the%202026%20campaign.
The Big Sky could even up in football if it added D2 powerhouse CSU Pueblo as a full member. That way Big Sky football schools can play 5 protected opponents and 4 rotating opponents on an 4-year schedule.
Evan, try it yourself, you cannot have 13 teams play 9 games, it doesn’t work. Take out a pad of paper and try to put it together. 12 of them can play nine games and one is left with 8, the math isn’t that hard and you can put all the OPEN DATES in that you want, you still can’t make it work. If the 13th team plays 9, somebody has to play 10 and be the odd one out. Not sure why we get stuck on the term bye week either, byes are for tournaments but stick to the fact that the math does not compute because if you have 13 teams playing 9 games against each other, that is a total of 58 1/2 conference games because there is one team left over that can’t play a half a game.
Don’t worry Evan, I see your other post now!
I would prefer they don’t go to 14 and that they split with maybe the oldest 6 Big Sky teams, the original 5 for football, Montana, bozeman, Weber, UI, ISU, plus Northern Arizona. Add in two more, Lets just say Eastern WA and Portland St.
The rest of the teams form their own league and try to pull Sac State until at least they figure their way. There are a few possibility for teams moving up in Colorado, Oregon and Washington, but this could solve some of the issues the Big Sky has with travel for OOC Games.
Z-man That is none of your business conference decides what will be best for us & you have zero control over it.
@Big Sky, you were just SEC on the other post. You have nothing to say in this conversation either. Apparently, it gives you a chubby to act like you are someone of authority.
Big Sky Football Is excellent where they are currently, they do not need additional teams.
Merrimack should very much follow suit.
There you go! Very much compound the problem by replacing two pretty consistent playoff teams with two that have a combined total of one playoff appearance and call it good. It used to be an argument that the CAA was the best conference and now it’s not even worth a conversation that they don’t deserve at large bids. Case in point, 1-4 in the playoffs in 2024. It doesn’t matter how many teams are in the league if they all suck.
I support Sacred Heart taking a chance on joining CAA.
Bless your Sacred Heart.
CAA needs to restock.. they will be fine for a bit
The once proud Yankee Conference now a mere pittance of its glory days.
Just to kind of end this trip down memory lane and nostalgia that everyone keeps posting about the revival of the good old days of the Yankee Conference…they were 12-31 all-time in the playoffs including 0-1 in the Div I-AA championship. That one appearance was in 1978 when Massachusetts lost the very first title game to Florida A&M
The other members of the Yankee Conference that year were Rhode Island, Connecticut, Boston University, New Hampshire and Maine.
I will fully support bringing that failure back.
I am surprised that Albany and the New England schools don’t just form America East football. They could have added CCSU, Sacred Heart and Merrimack to get to eight and then see if they coud pry Stony Brook and Towson away from CAA football. CAA let W&M leave for football, though they are the last charter member of the league, so they might have been a special case. Maine being in the same football conference as Campbell is just bizarre.
I think that this will eventually happen. Everybody is biding their time right now, but a New England based conference should be in the offing quite soon.
John, I want to see a New England based Football conference in future.
Excellent job on reply to Gerry.
Z-man, pueblo is not a state nor a power house. The Big Sky already has one weak team from Colorado and we don’t need any more, nor do we need a basketball team from Alaska. At the same time, no one asked for your solution, this was a conversation between Evan and I that was going along fine and ended well.
I support conversation between JM & Evan.
I have grave concerns about Z-Man more whacky, Cuckoo & obscured ideas for College Football he will be outcasted very frequently & Z-Man should be more mindful of CFB news instead making up stupidity ideas which make zero sense.