Looks like Hardin-Simmons has also accepted the Clutch City challenge for their September 19 opponent.

HSU Schedule

Quote from: Hawks88 on July 24, 2026, 01:37:13 PM

Quote from: UMHB03 on July 08, 2026, 06:25:04 PMHoward Payne finally found their 10th opponent. Something called Clutch City Preparatory, which I assume is who you're forced to call when Westgate Christian doesn't have any open dates. 

HPU Football Schedule

Clutch City is part of something called National Junior College Prep football league that is starting this season. I'm having trouble figuring out if there are any actual schools involved.
There's an entry from Alabama named Alabama Rays based in Gulf Shores, AL that just had 8 players arrested, so they're off to an inauspicious start.

https://www.fox10tv.com/2026/07/23/gulf-shores-police-arrest-8-teens-after-reported-armed-robbery/

Yeah, if they're having to prep for junior college, I can't imagine we're dealing with many elite scholars.

Quote from: crufootball on July 17, 2026, 10:40:53 AM

Quote from: tigerguy on July 16, 2026, 10:54:17 PM

Quote from: MCScots2013 on July 15, 2026, 03:37:26 PMTrinity, Berry and Centre (along with Maryville in our last USAC year) made the playoffs in 2024, so it's possible you could see a Trinity-added ASC getting 3 playoff teams due to NPI.  The SAA did it.

Trinity would only join ASC as an absolute last option, but it's become more plausible as a scenario faster than I expected it would. Funny enough, wouldn't Trinity joining the ASC finally resolve the Texas island gauntlet in the playoffs? At least for the first round - since (assuming all three top teams get bids) they'd trigger the NCAA's no first round matchup rule for same conference opponents? There might be an exception to that (something like they can't do it, unless economics aren't workable or some bs), but I can't remember and I'm too lazy to go look.

It would most likely prevent a rematch of those three but now that the SCAC will have a bid, it would be shocking if AC, TLU or Southwestern wins that they would not be paired with the ASC champion as quickly as possible.

I'd be fine with that. I just hated it back in the days when we'd have a conference rematch in the first round almost every year.

Quote from: Mavchamp on July 11, 2026, 02:44:47 PM

Quote from: crufootball on July 11, 2026, 10:38:04 AM

Quote from: Mavchamp on July 09, 2026, 08:37:45 PM

Quote from: MCScots2013 on July 09, 2026, 07:50:27 PMI think the issue at hand is the total number for the SCAC when accounting for non-football schools. Unless they want to be the D3 SEC with 16 schools, the total number is  getting big. Someone needs to try to make that SCAC move asap because they shut that door. I think the ODAC has 14 schools (not checking their website), so I guess there is Region 3 precedence.

But, yeah...if ex-D3's came back it could help a lot.

Call me a pessimist....but I think the ASC on life support again when this 10 year "deal" is done.

All six members should be thinking long-term if they are wise.

The good news:  Necessity may force them together long term....even if they don't like it.

There's always a chance that the SCAC will have no interest in taking McMurry and Schreiner back in 10 years.  If that's the case...both could be stuck with the ASC unless they look else where.

Trinity may not want the ASC..... and the ASC may not want Trinity.  But.... they may have to live with each other.

HSU and UMHB may not want to move to D2...but if they ASC falls apart.... will they have any options?

And HPU and ETBU have got to decide if they remain faithful to the Baptist Four or if they decide to go every many for themselves and start looking at SCAC, D2 or NAIA.

And like mentioned....Sul Ross coming back could be huge....even if it's a long shot.

Recruiting the Sooner Conference

But it could be interesting..... all the talk of life support in 10 years (and it's still very real).... but the ASC could end up being an alliance of the unwanted and unwilling if the SCAC say thanks but no thanks to everyone.

Trinity
UMHB
HSU
ETBU
HPU
McMurry
Schreiner


A conference that hardly anyone would be happy about being in....but survives due to necessity. 

Recent history seems to scream that long-term in college football is 5 years at most so I would say that the ASC members will happily take a 10 year deal that hasn't even started yet. Now could something happen in that 10 years that makes the deal invalid, of course, but until then it would seem that all of the members have looked around and said this is the best option presented to them.

True.....I guess this is as good as it can get when you have two conferences that have absolutely no interest in working together to create some stability.

It'll be interesting to see if Trinity considers the ASC in the near future...and would the ASC even be interested.

After a season where one team is playing a 9-game schedule and another had to resort to playing Clutch City Prep, I can't imagine that the ASC wouldn't be interested. Trinity has an excellent athletics program and would be a great addition to the conference if they decide they're interested.

Howard Payne finally found their 10th opponent. Something called Clutch City Preparatory, which I assume is who you're forced to call when Westgate Christian doesn't have any open dates. 

HPU Football Schedule

Quote from: Patrick Coleman on June 23, 2026, 03:42:42 PMHardin-Simmons schedule drops:
https://www.d3football.com/teams/Hardin-Simmons/2026/index

We had done some speculation about it in the mailbag segment on the pod which dropped today:
https://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2026/06/23/atn-podcast-410-polar-bears-in-ireland-new-coach-in-dc-preseason-thoughts/

Wow, looks like they never were able to find a 10th opponent.

Quote from: The Third Division on June 12, 2026, 01:53:35 PMEither hardin simmons is gonna drop a schedule soon or we're just gonna assume they won't be playing football this fall.

Howard Payne still hasn't released theirs either, unless I missed it. Nobody understands the difficulty of finding non-conference opponents in our region better than UMHB fans, but not having a schedule out less than 90 days before the season kicks off is pretty wild.

Quote from: Mavchamp on May 14, 2026, 05:53:09 PMDid everyone in the ASC get a 10 game schedule?  I believe they did.

Howard Payne and Hardin-Simmons are still TBD.

HSU is playing Chapman on September 5th and @ UW-La Crosse on September 12th

HPU is playing @ Pacific on September 5th, @ Wayland Baptist on September 19th, and Simpson in Frisco on September 26th.

That's all we know about those two at the moment.

Quote from: The Third Division on May 14, 2026, 10:57:23 AM

Quote from: UMHB03 on May 14, 2026, 10:49:42 AMNow it's official: 2026 UMHB schedule

I like this schedule. Obviously getting ten D3 games would have been ideal, but given the scheduling difficulties in our region there isn't too much to complain about. It's challenging with matchups against recent playoff teams like Endicott, Rowan, and HSU, but not ridiculously brutal like what we had to deal with in 2023. Kudos to Harmon for getting the job done right this year.

I also like that there are four first time opponents (Pac Lutheran, Endicott, Keystone, Schreiner) and one opponent that we have only faced once before (Rowan). Getting Hardin-Simmons at home is obviously an advantage as well.

Rowan didn't make playoffs last year

You're right, I just noticed their additional game last year was D3 bowl. Nevertheless, they're a decent opponent.

Now it's official: 2026 UMHB schedule

I like this schedule. Obviously getting ten D3 games would have been ideal, but given the scheduling difficulties in our region there isn't too much to complain about. It's challenging with matchups against recent playoff teams like Endicott, Rowan, and HSU, but not ridiculously brutal like what we had to deal with in 2023. Kudos to Harmon for getting the job done right this year.

I also like that there are four first time opponents (Pac Lutheran, Endicott, Keystone, Schreiner) and one opponent that we have only faced once before (Rowan). Getting Hardin-Simmons at home is obviously an advantage as well.

Based on common open dates, it looks almost certain that UMHB will be facing Howard Payne on October 10th, ETBU on November 7th, and Hardin-Simmons on November 14th. If so, HPU would be a home game because the university website has already announced October 9-10 as homecoming weekend. Not sure the locations of the other two.

I hope this this is accurate because it would be great to have a UMHB/HSU finale in what could likely be a defacto conference championship game, and possibly a play-in game for the playoffs.

Quote from: CruFrenzy on May 07, 2026, 10:34:14 PM

Quote from: UMHB03 on April 28, 2026, 07:52:04 PMDoes anyone know if last year's Texas Wesleyan game was a one time meeting or a home-and-home like we had with Bethel? I've been wondering if UMHB's 5th non-conference game might be a trip to Fort Worth.

I'm told Texas Wesleyan is in fact the final non conference game for us this year and will be in Ft. Worth.

I can live with one NAIA opponent given the scheduling difficulties. I'm grateful for the four D3 opponents.

Hopefully they will be able to release the full schedule soon.

Does anyone know if last year's Texas Wesleyan game was a one time meeting or a home-and-home like we had with Bethel? I've been wondering if UMHB's 5th non-conference game might be a trip to Fort Worth.

Quote from: The Third Division on April 25, 2026, 01:24:13 PM

Quote from: Ron Boerger on April 24, 2026, 10:55:43 PMWith Anna Maria folding up shop there are a bunch of MASCAC schools needing a game, but with the Cru already travelling to both coasts they'd have to come to Belton. 

And lose 65-0

I don't know about that. Framingham St or Plymouth St would probably make a more respectable showing, but I doubt they'd be interested in paying for a trip to Texas unless literally nobody in or around their region has an open date.

Quote from: Patrick Coleman on April 25, 2026, 12:16:43 AM

Quote from: UMHB03 on April 24, 2026, 04:28:39 PMFinally a UMHB schedule update:

Looks like the Crusaders have added a road game against Pacific Lutheran on September 12. Nice to see another D3 opponent.

2026 Schedule (so far)

Thanks for noticing! I only added the PLU schedule this afternoon.

I always check the schedule a couple times a week to see if anyone has been added. Looks like I timed it perfectly this week.