What does it mean for Sacred Heart University’s football team to join the Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference (CAA)? For players, fans, and coaches, it means tougher competition, new rivalries, and a fresh chapter in the program’s history.
Starting in July 2026, SHU football will officially compete in the CAA football conference. With Sacred Heart’s addition, the conference will feature 13 teams: University at Albany, Bryant University, Campbell University, Elon University, Hampton, Maine, Monmouth University, University of New Hampshire, North Carolina A&T State University, University of Rhode Island, Stony Brook University, Towson University and Sacred Heart University.
“We’re thrilled to be back in a football conference,” said head coach Mark Nofri. “It gives us the chance to compete for an FCS Championship and test ourselves against some of the nation’s top programs.”
Source: Daniel Boye, ’27
Sacred Heart was previously a member of the Northeast Conference but departed in 2024 to join the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Since the MAAC does not sponsor football, the Pioneers have spent the past two seasons competing as an National Collegiate Athetic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) independent.
“Back in July, they brought us all into the weight room to tell us the news, and we were ecstatic,” said graduate student and team captain Maximus Mongelli.
“It was sudden, nobody really knew it was coming, so joining the conference had everybody fired up,” said sophomore Chuck Webb.
Aside from tougher competition, joining the CAA could also reshape Sacred Heart’s recruiting efforts. Competing in one of the strongest FCS conferences gives the Pioneers a bigger stage to attract top talent.
“We already have a lot of great football players, but being in a conference changes the way we recruit,” said Nofri. “Now we have the chance to bring in some of the recruits we were once in the mix for but lost because we weren’t in a conference.”
Sacred Heart knows the road ahead in the CAA won’t be easy, but the Pioneers are embracing the challenge. For now they will continue their 2025 season in the FCS. The Pioneers’ record stands at 1-1 with their first game of the season being a home opening 12-7 win over Stonehill College on Aug. 30, followed by an 18 point road loss to Lehigh University a week later.
