Sacred Heart Pioneers football
| Sacred Heart Pioneers football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1991 | ||
| Head coach | Mark Nofri 10th season, 67–53 (.558) | ||
| Stadium | Campus Field (capacity: 3,334) | ||
| Location | Fairfield, Connecticut | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | NCAA Division I FCS independent schools | ||
| All-time record | 89–124 (.418) | ||
| Bowl record | 1–0 (1.000) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 1 | ||
| Conference titles | 6 | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 3 | ||
| Colors | Red and white[1] | ||
| Website | sacredheartpioneers.com | ||
The Sacred Heart Pioneers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Sacred Heart University located in Fairfield, Connecticut. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are one of two NCAA Division I FCS independent schools. The school's first football team was fielded in 1993.[2] The 2001 Sacred Heart Pioneers football team compiled a perfect 11–0 record and won the school's first conference championship.
The team plays its home games at the 3,334 seat Campus Field.
Beginning in 2024, the team will compete as a NCAA Division I FCS Independent school. Their departure from the Northeast Conference will coincide with the move of the Sacred Heart Pioneers athletic program to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, which has not supported football competition since 2007. They will join the Merrimack Warriors football program, also joining the MAAC as a full member, as the only two schools competing in the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season independent of conference affiliation.
History[edit]
Classifications[edit]
- 1991–1992: NCAA Division III
- 1993–1998: NCAA Division II
- 1999–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships[edit]
- 1991–1992: Division III Independent
- 1993–1994: Division II Independent
- 1995–1996: Eastern Collegiate Football Conference
- 1997–1998: Eastern Football Conference
- 1999–2023: Northeast Conference
- 2024-present: Division I FCS Independent
Notable former players[edit]
- E.J. Nemeth - York Capitals
- DeVeren Johnson - Dallas Cowboys
- Jon Corto - Buffalo Bills
- Gregory Tonzola - New Jersey Xtreme
- Chris Rogers - KCEN-TV
- Gordon Hill - San Diego Chargers
- Josh Sokol - Minnesota Vikings
- Julius Chestnut - Tennessee Titans
- Victor Benson - New Haven Ninjas[3]
Championships[edit]
Conference championships[edit]
| Year | Coach | Conference | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Jim Fleming | Northeast Conference | 11–0 |
| 2013 | Mark Nofri | Northeast Conference | 10–3 † |
| 2014 | Mark Nofri | Northeast Conference | 9–3 † |
| 2018 | Mark Nofri | Northeast Conference | 7–4 † |
| 2020 | Mark Nofri | Northeast Conference | 3–1 |
| 2021 | Mark Nofri | Northeast Conference | 6–1 |
| Conference Championships | 6 | ||
† denotes co-championship
Playoff appearances[edit]
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS[edit]
Sacred Heart has made four appearances in the FCS playoffs. Their combined record is 0–4.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | First Round | Fordham | L 27–37 |
| 2014 | First Round | Fordham | L 22–44 |
| 2020 | First Round | Delaware | L 10–19 |
| 2021 | First Round | Holy Cross | L 10–13 |
Future non-conference opponents[edit]
Future non-conference opponents announced as of January 20, 2023.[4]
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Lafayette | at Lafayette | at Norfolk State |
| at Yale | Lafayette | |
| at UConn |
References[edit]
- ^ SHU Pioneers Official Logo Art. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^ Sacred Heart Pioneers Archived 2016-10-25 at the Wayback Machine, College Football Data Warehouse, retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ "Ninjas Earn First Victory, 51-38, over Mohegan". 28 April 2002.
- ^ "Sacred Heart Pioneers Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 20, 2023.