Orange Coast College in California did not shut down its college football program. The Pirates only canceled the 2026 season with the intention to return in 2027.
Any reports on social media that indicate otherwise are not true. (As of now!)
This kind of approach to college football has worked for similar schools in the past. Sometimes you have to tear things down to the ground before you can build them back up.
What is Orange Coast College?
Established in 1947, Orange Coast College is a public community college in Costa Mesa, California. It enrolls approximately 24,000 undergraduate students as the third-largest college in Orange County.
The 164-acre campus is pretty impressive!
As are the amenities for athletics. Very few (if any) two-year college football programs are equipped with facilities of this caliber. The same could be said for many/most FCS programs and even G5/6 programs.
Orange Coast has everything it needs to succeed. California is rich with talent.
The Pirates have been terrible in recent years despite this advantage. And that might be understated.
Orange Coast College has not had a winning season since 2016. It has only reached the three-win mark in three of the last nine years. Every other year was even worse. The Pirates finished at 0-10 last season.
Not only did Orange Coast lose every single game in 2025, it lost by a combined score of 536-91. Yeesh.
The college football program is on pause.
Offensive coordinator J.T. Niumata and defensive coordinator Twin Fernandes were both fired at the end of the winless season. The coaching staff underwent a complete overhaul.
However, as of March 25, Bubba Gonzalez was still in place as head coach and the team was moving forward toward 2026 despite the turnover. The coaches who remained on staff were still recruiting.
And then it all came crashing down…
A false report on X indicated that Orange Coast College had “shut down” its college football program. That is not entirely true. The program is on pause for now. The plan is to return in 2027.
Orange Coast announced an official pause of the football program for fall 2026. The Pirates will not play a single game next season to undergo a complete rebuild.
“During this time, OCC will focus on rebuilding the program through targeted recruitment, strengthening program infrastructure, and rebuilding the coaching staff. The College’s goal is to return in Fall 2027 with a full and competitive roster, positioning OCC football for long-term success.”
Gonzalez will remain in place as the head coach during this period of transition. However, a large portion of the the athletes are now forced to look for a new opportunity to compete.
Yesterday I was informed that our football program in Orange Coast city College was terminated
— Peyton Sadler (@PeytonSadlerQB) April 16, 2026
I was hoping to continue on the success. I had a quarterback at the end of last year as a freshman.
Now I’m scrambling to find a team
If you want it bad enough make it happen…
This approach has proven effective at similar schools in the past. San Bernandino Valley College is perhaps the greatest example. The Wolverines did not play in 2024. They went 7-4 in 2025.
Can Orange County College replicate this same success? We’ll find out…