Stonehill will begin the 2026 college football season at home on August 29. And then its schedule gets weird.
The Skyhawks hit the road for nearly two full months.
As far as I can tell, there is no clear reason for the unusual college football calendar. It is what it is because that’s how it is!
What is Stonehill College?
Established 78 years ago, Stonehill College is a private Catholic school in Easton, Massachusetts. It was founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1948. The sprawling 375-acre campus sits about half way between Boston and Providence.
Stonehill fields 23 varsity sports on the Division I level. The Skyhawks reclassified from Division II and joined the Northeastern Conference in 2022. Their football team competes within the Football Championship Subdivision. It boasts a combined record of 14-27 over the last four years.
Part of the recent struggles stems from the transition from D2 to D1. It takes time to acclimate to a higher level of competition. Part of the recent struggles also stems from a challenging conference. The NEC is typically decided by one or two wins with a majority of teams stacked together at the middle of the conference.
Eli Gardner is entering his 11th year as the head football coach at Stonehill. He hopes this year will be the year.
The most unusual schedule in college football?
If the Skyhawks are going to finish above .500 (or better), they will have to endure the most unusual schedule I have ever seen. Stonehill will not play a home game from August 29 to October 17. 50 straight days on the road (plus a bye week).
- August 29 — vs. Bryant
- September 5 — at New Haven
- September 12 — at New Hampshire
- September 19 — at UMass
- September 26 — at Ohio
- October 3 – BYE
- October 10 — at Sacred Heart
- October 17 — vs. Duquesne
Six-straight away games to begin the season after kicking things off in Week 0. That’s brutal.
The good thing is that the Skyhawks will be able to get back to campus in between the weekends. It’s not like they don’t have access to their own facilities and have to live out of a suitcase in a hotel. They’ll be able to sleep in their own beds from Sunday to Thursday. That makes a big difference.
In some ways, Stonehill might even benefit from this unusual schedule. The team can get in a routine and stay in that same routine for nearly two months straight. There won’t be any discrepancies in what they are doing from week to week for six straight weeks.
Only time will tell. The most unusual schedule in college football gets underway in less than a month!