Leveling Up

Sacred Heart Football is taking the jump to a new conference this fall, with new rivalries and new opportunities

From the spring 2026 issue of Sacred Heart University Magazine

Key Highlights

• Sacred Heart Football joins the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) for the 2026 season, marking one of the most significant milestones in the program's Division I history
• The CAA is widely recognized as one of the top conferences in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), regularly producing nationally ranked teams, playoff contenders and future Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs
• University leadership views the move as the result of years of strategic investment in athletics, facilities and student-athlete development, reflecting SHU's long-term commitment to competing at the highest level of FCS football

A college football conference is a mark of prestige, a baseline for recruits and—amid the chaos of the NIL (name, image, and likeness) landscape, where college athletes can now earn money—a path to greater national exposure and player visibility.

In a significant step forward, Sacred Heart Football will join the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) this fall, one of the premier conferences in the NCAA Division I Football Championship
Subdivision (FCS). For SHU, the move underlines how athletics on the Park Avenue campus brighten the future of the University.

“Joining the CAA Football Conference reflects years of purposeful growth, investment in facilities and resources, and a belief that our programs can compete at the highest levels of FCS athletics,” says Judy Ann Riccio, SHU’s executive director of athletics. “This move reinforces our ambition to continue building championship-caliber programs while maintaining the ideals that define Sacred Heart University.”

That commitment has Coach Mark Nofri, who took charge of the Pios in 2011, particularly excited for the upcoming season.

“What excites me most about competing in the CAA this upcoming season is the ability to play in one of the top three FCS conferences in the country,” he says. “It is a very strong conference from top to bottom, and every week we are going to be playing great schools with rich histories of success both on and off the field.”

Matchups against established programs like the University of Maine and the University of Rhode Island are just the challenge Nofri and his squad are up for.

“At our first meeting of the spring semester, we talked about what it is going to take to be successful in the CAA—we know that we have to raise the bar in terms of our work ethic and how we prepare out of season,” says Nofri. “If you are a true Division I football player, you want to play the best, you want to be pushed by your coaches, and you want to find a way to be successful in times of adversity.”

Several former CAA programs, UMass, Delaware, and James Madison, have moved up to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the sport’s biggest stage. Last season, the CAA was one of only four conferences nationally to place three or more teams in the 24-team FCS playoff field. (Sacred Heart’s previous conference, the Northeast Conference, had just one automatic bid.) Five times this century, a CAA team has won the national championship.

Among those particularly excited is rising junior quarterback Jack “Poochie” Snyder, who came to the Pios when the school was competing as an independent and sees the move as a chance to make his mark in SHU’s football history.

“Being an independent when I got here my freshman year and then playing as one this past year was exciting,” he says. “Yet, there is just something different knowing that we’re competing for a conference championship and, as a result, playing for a bid to the playoffs motivates us that much more.”

Despite the increased competition, Snyder and his teammates expect a playoff bid and an improvement upon last year’s 8-4 campaign.

“This move has changed the mindset, along with our expectations, in all the right ways,” Snyder says. “Winning eight games last year is now the goal to beat, and we expect to win; moving to
the CAA does not change that.”

Playing top competition carries real consequences off the field as well. In the current collegiate athlete landscape, where financial resources drive recruiting, retention and results, commanding attention with high-level matchups is critical to building a successful athletic program. Both Riccio and Nofri were keenly aware of this environment and knew that achieving their goals almost certainly meant a change.

“Off the field, CAA membership strengthens visibility on national platforms, strengthens recruiting and connects Sacred Heart with peer institutions that share a commitment to academic success and leadership development,” Riccio says.

For Nofri, the move opens new recruiting opportunities.

“We as coaches will be doing our best to identify the student-athletes who can compete at the CAA level, both on the field and in the classroom,” Nofri says. “As members of the CAA, we look forward to using our platform to compete for the best and brightest.”

Nofri and Riccio share a common message for fans and community members alike this upcoming season: show up and show out.

“This is an exciting and proud moment for the entire Sacred Heart community, and we are grateful to our fans, students, alumni, and partners for helping make this step possible,” says Riccio. “As we enter this upcoming chapter, we look forward to competing on a bigger stage
while representing the University with pride, integrity, and passion, and we can’t wait to continue building something special together in the CAA.”

The Pios open CAA play on the road at Monmouth on September 5, and their home debut is against the University of New Hampshire on September 26.

New Conference, New Company

CAA Football at a Glance

SHU’s move to the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) places them among top FCS programs. These are the members for 2026: