RICHMOND, Va.  – The Coastal Athletic Association Football Board of Directors has approved Sacred Heart University as the newest member of the conference. Sacred Heart will join CAA Football on July 1, 2026, and increase the league's membership to 13.

"We are pleased to welcome Sacred Heart University as the newest member of the conference," CAA Commissioner Joe D'Antonio said. "In an ever-changing landscape across collegiate athletics and in FCS football, Sacred Heart is committed to competing at the highest level and striving for championships. Sacred Heart is a great fit for the conference academically and geographically, and we look forward to what they will bring to the CAA."

Sacred Heart is a private institution with a student population of more than 11,000. On the field, the Pioneers have captured six Northeast Conference championships and earned four FCS playoff appearances since 2013, including back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014 as well as 2020 and 2021. Sacred Heart, which was ranked No. 22 nationally in 2021, is currently competing as an FCS Independent.

"Joining the CAA begins an exciting new chapter for our university. This move not only strengthens our commitment to athletic excellence, but it also aligns us with institutions that share our values in academics, competition and community," said SHU President Dr. John Petillo. "We look forward to new rivalries, greater exposure and the incredible opportunities the CAA brings for our student-athletes and fans. SHU football has been a great source of pride as well as a galvanizing element for our community. We've been inspired by many of the accomplishments of Pioneers on the football field."

Sacred Heart's home venue is Campus Field, which opened in 1997 and is currently undergoing a turf replacement and the first phase of renovations that includes new seating and a state-of-the-art press box.

"We are excited to compete with the outstanding CAA football programs. We fully intend to contribute to the legacy of this great conference with integrity, grit and with the Pioneering spirit that defines Sacred Heart," said Judy Ann Riccio, Sacred Heart's Executive Director of Athletics."

"At Sacred Heart University, our football program is dedicated to developing student-athletes through a commitment to excellence both on and off the field," said Mark Nofri, Head Coach of SHU Football. "Joining the CAA elevates that mission to a new level. We're thrilled to compete in one of the nation's premier conferences and look forward to making a lasting impact on its proud tradition."

Nofri is a five-time NEC Coach of the Year. The Pioneers have had 22 players receive All-America honors during his tenure.

The CAA (formerly the Colonial Athletic Association) has established itself as one of the premier conferences in FCS football. CAA Football made history in 2018 by becoming the first conference to have six teams (Delaware, Elon, James Madison, Maine, Stony Brook and Towson) receive berths in the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The conference had five teams make the playoff field in 2022 and four in both the 2023 and 2024 tournaments. Eleven of the CAA's current 14 members have made the playoffs since 2015. The league has had multiple teams in the playoffs for the past 34 years, three or more squads in the field for 17 of the past 19 seasons and at least one team in the semifinals in 10 of the past 12 years. A CAA team has competed in the FCS national championship game nine times since 2006.

Institutions in CAA Football are located across much of the Atlantic Coast, with the geographic footprint stretching across nine states from Maine to North Carolina. Members for the 2026 season will include University at Albany (Albany, N.Y.), Bryant University (Smithfield, R.I.), Campbell University (Buies Creek, N.C.), Elon University (Elon, N.C.), Hampton University (Hampton, Va.), University of Maine (Orono, Maine), Monmouth University (West Long Branch, N.J.), University of New Hampshire (Durham, N.H.), North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, N.C.), University of Rhode Island (Kingston, R.I.), Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, Conn.), Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, N.Y.) and Towson University (Towson, Md.).