SELINSGROVE, PA — The Susquehanna University football team enters the 2026 season ranked among the nation's best, earning spots in the top 25 of both major NCAA Division III preseason polls. The River Hawks are ranked No. 20 in the D3football.com Preseason Top 25 and No. 21 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Preseason Poll.

The football program announced their team captains leading up to Week One in seniors Liam Kelly, Ben Fleming, Tommy Wright, Galen Limantour, and Matt Surtz. All five have been part of Susquehanna's dominance in the Landmark Conference the last three seasons and hope to guide the River Hawks once more to the league title and another crack at the NCAA Tournament. New head coach Chris Pincince is obviously a new name for Susquehanna fans, but no stranger to success after an impressive ten-year run as the head coach at University of New Haven, becoming the Chargers' all-time winningest coach and leading them to multiple NCAA Division II Tournament apperances. 

Susquehanna returns after another historic campaign in 2025, finishing with an 11-3 overall record and advancing to the NCAA Division III Championship quarterfinals for the second straight year. The River Hawks' 2025 season marked their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament, having reached the NCAA Semifinals in 2024, their furthest run since 1991. 

The D3football.com poll is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members, while the AFCA Division III poll is selected by Division III head coaches representing conferences across the country. The complete D3football.com Preseason Top 25 is available through D3football.com, while the complete AFCA Division III Preseason Poll is available through the AFCA.

Susquehanna also enters the season as the defending Landmark Conference champion. The River Hawks have dominated the conference since its introduction of football, capturing the league's first three championships and compiling a perfect 18-0 conference record through the 2025 season. Overall Susquehanna has won 28 consecutive conference games dating back to 2021 when they were still members of the Centennial Conference, winning the CC title in 2022. 

The River Hawks will look to build on their continued national success under new head coach Chris Pincince. Susquehanna opens the 2026 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Union (N.Y.), followed by two more road games at Bridgewater (Va.) Sept. 12 and Johns Hopkins, their 2025 NCAA Quarterfinals opponent, on Sept. 19. Their first home game is against Christopher Newport on Homecoming Weekend Saturday, Sept. 26.