UTICA, NY - The summer has come to the Mohawk Valley, which means that Utica Pioneer Football is only a few months from kicking off the much-anticipated 2026 campaign. The Pioneers are returning a massive amount of talent from last season's squad, which fell just a few spots out of the NCAA Tournament. The team will be in search of many lofty goals this coming year, notably the team's first-ever Empire 8 Championship and a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, which would be the second in program history.
 
The road to these goals runs through Gaetano Stadium this coming season, with a slew of top-tier opponents coming to town during the team's five scheduled home games. Check out information about all five of the Pioneers' home contests, as well as how you can get involved with Utica Football through joining the 12th Man Club, all featured down below!
 
Week One - Saturday, September 5th (12:00 PM) - Washington & Jefferson
Mastrovito Auto Group Believe Bowl
 
The Pioneers kick off their 2026 season with a massive showdown against a Washington & Jefferson team that won the PAC Conference last season. In this past season's opening week, Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) had an all-time debut performance against the Presidents, tossing over 500 yards in a 49-31 win. The Presidents would lose the following week, before rattling off eight straight wins to win the PAC and gain a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Presidents, led by head coach Mike Sirianni (brother of Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni), will come to Gaetano seeking revenge. However, the Pioneers will enter the game riding a seven-year win streak in the annual Mastrovito Believe Bowl. The game will benefit the Believe 271 Foundation, and will be an ORANGE OUT. Stop by as the team looks to continue their Believe Bowl success in one of the highest-profile matchups in the game's history.
 
Week Three - Saturday, September 19th (1:00 PM) - Hobart
Mohawk Valley Challengers Day Sponsored by Human Technologies
 
Hobart comes to town for a week three matchup to cap off non-conference play, with the Pioneers looking to avenge a tough 2025 loss to the Liberty League side. Last season, the Pioneers fell 20-17 after struggling to score during a slow-paced second half. The Statesmen would prevail thanks to a three-touchdown day from star running back EJ Taylor. Taylor, who was just a junior last season, will battle it out once again with a Pioneer defensive front that returns three solid starters and a ton of depth. That battle in the trenches will be key to the Pioneers' victory this coming season. This game kicks off at 1:00 PM and will be the Mohawk Valley Challengers Day Game sponsored by Human Technologies. This is only the third iteration of this matchup, and the Pioneers are 1-1 in those two games, falling to #2 nationally ranked Cortland in 2024, before rebounding against a tough St. John Fisher squad in a 31-7 win this past season. This game will support the Coach to Cure MD Initiative.
 
Week Five - Saturday, October 3rd (1:00 PM) - SUNY Cortland
Homecoming / First Source Federal Credit Union Teacher Appreciation Game
 
Week five will feature a battle of last season's top two Empire 8 squads, as six-time reigning conference champion SUNY Cortland comes back to town. The Red Dragons will enter this season on a 35-game Empire 8 winning streak, a run that will come to a head against a Pioneer team that's as primed as ever to topple the reigning champs. Last season, the Pioneers were extremely close to upending their southern foe; however, three costly turnovers proved to be the difference, despite the blue and orange stacking up 339 yards through the air. This season, an improved defensive front, along with returning offensive talent, gives the team potentially its greatest opportunity to fell the Red Dragons. This game will occur at 1:00 PM on Homecoming Saturday, headlining a packed weekend on campus. The Pioneers are 3-1 in their last four Homecoming games, with their only loss coming on a last-second touchdown. This game is also the First Source Federal Credit Union Teacher Appreciation Game. All local Educators gain free access to the game by showing their school ID.
 
Week Seven - Saturday, October 24th (12:00 PM) - Alfred University
GKG & Sullivan Contracting Breast Cancer Awareness Game
 
The Pioneers will battle Alfred University during the heart of conference season, hoping to avenge a 2024 Homecoming loss in what was one of the craziest and most charged home games in Utica football history. Last season, the Pioneers took down the Southern Tier side in Alfred, coming away with a 51-28 victory, thanks in large part to a 44-7 advantage early in the third quarter. The catalyst in this victory was the Pioneer defense, as the secondary forced three interceptions and grabbed three pass breakups. Eze Frazier (Garnerville, NY/North Rockland) had a big rushing game, racking up 97 yards, while Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) continued his dominance, catching eight passes for 124 yards and a score. The Pioneers will look to repeat in all of these phases as they aim to continue their run of success in the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game. The Pioneers are 3-1 in this matchup over the last four seasons. This season's iteration kicks off at 12:00 PM in late October. This game is sponsored by GKG and Sullivan Contracting, and will support our local "Men Wear Pink" campaign.
 
Week Ten - Saturday, November 14th (12:00 PM) - SUNY Brockport
GPO Federal Credit Union Veterans Day Game / Senior Day
 
The Pioneers will wrap up the regular season with a Senior Day/Veterans Day Game tilt against SUNY Brockport, a rematch of last season's most entertaining contest. This past year, the Pioneers traveled to Brockport on a rainy afternoon, looking to cement their spot as the conference's second-best team. Despite facing some early struggles, the Pioneers would adapt, erasing deficits of 14-0 and 20-7 en route to a 28-20 win. The blue and orange would score four consecutive times to end the contest, taking the lead with 42 seconds left on a 21-yard Nico Duarte (Kearny, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) field goal, before a 78-yard Eli Douglas (Ausable Forks, NY/Ausable Valley) pick 6 would put the game to bed. Brockport rushed for 230 yards on the back of Isaiah Simmons, a multi-time All-American in 2025, who still has one year of eligibility remaining, and should be back to engineer the Brockport offense. However, it was Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) who won the day, as the Rochester native battled rain and other obstacles to pass for 318 yards and three touchdowns in one of the gutsiest performances in Utica football history. The stage is set for another primetime throwdown between these two teams to wrap up the regular season. The Pioneers are 5-1 in the last six matchups of the Senior Day / Veterans Day Game, and will look for more success after a 12:00 PM kickoff in mid-November. This game will go to support the Sitrin Military Program.
 
Want to be a part of the action? Join the 12th Man now! Get your 12th Man apparel and support Utica University Football by following the link below! (All apparel features the new 12th Man logo)
 
Utica Football 12th Man Club
 
2026 Utica University Football Ticket Information
 
Single-game tickets are $5 and will be available at the gate. Season Tickets are $20 for all five games. Season Tickets can be purchased by Cash, Check, or Venmo. Contact Assistant Coach and New Hartford native Logan Kraft at lokraft@utica.edu to get your season tickets now!
 
Coach Faggiano and the football program are proud of their connection to the Mohawk Valley. The 12th Man is one of the best atmospheres for Division III college football in the entire country. For the third season in a row, every home game gives back to our community in some fashion. Let's be sure to Pack the Gaet', and as always, Fear. the. Moose…
 
Downloadable 2026 Utica Football Schedule:
Mobile: Hold down on the schedule and press "Save Image"
Desktop: Right click on the schedule and press "Save Image"