Kentucky State and Franklin Pierce will not play a college football game in Puerto Rico this weekend. The historic Division-II matchup was moved back to the United States just six days before kickoff.
It will instead take place in New Hampshire one day earlier.
This was supposed to be the first-ever college football game to be played in Puerto Rico. Concerns about field conditions and player safety led to its relocation. Allegedly.
Kentucky State will play at Franklin Pierce.
Kentucky State University is a Historically Black College and University located in Frankfort, Kentucky, approximately 24 miles northeast of Lexington. Founded in 1886, it enrolls 2,200 students.
Franklin Pierce is not an HBCU. It is a private liberal arts school located in Rindge, New Hampshire with a total enrollment of 1,750.
Both schools compete on the Division-II level of athletics. The Thorobreds are members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Ravens are members of the Northeast-10 Conference.
This is going to be a non-conference college football game between two teams on different trajectories.
Kentucky State has won four-straight games at 5-3. Franklin Pierce is coming off of a 21-0 shutout at 3-3.
The game was originally scheduled for Saturday in Puerto Rico. It will now be played on campus in New Hampshire on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
College football will not be played in Puerto Rico.
The inaugural Caribbean HBCU College Football Puerto Rico Bowl was supposed to be played in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. There is only one major sports facility in Mayagüez so we can assume it was going to be played at the Mayagüez Athletics Stadium, known locally as “Estadio Centroamericano de Mayagüez” or “Estadio José Antonio Figueroa Freyre.”
Owned by the City of Mayagüez, it is operated by the Puerto Rico Sol soccer club.
Whomever is responsible for field maintenance apparently did not do a good enough job. Kentucky State and Franklin Pierce decided not to play at Mayagüez Athletics Stadium.
“Due to field conditions and concerns for student-athlete safety, Kentucky State University and Franklin Pierce University have mutually agreed not to travel to Puerto Rico for the game scheduled on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. The matchup will now take place in Rindge, New Hampshire, marking the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
“‘Protecting our student-athletes is always our first priority,’ said Director of Athletics Grant Stepp. ‘While this is a disappointing outcome, it’s the right decision. We appreciate everyone who worked to make this event possible and remain committed to creating unique experiences for our student-athletes and fans.'”
This decision was announced just a few days before the Ravens and Thorobreds were set to fly south.
Part of me wonders if the field conditions are being used as an excuse to bail. Perhaps the two schools realized it was a financial burden to travel to Puerto Rico. Perhaps they realized nobody was going to show up. Either way, the first-ever college football game in Puerto Rico will be played in New Hampshire.