GEORGETOWN, TEXAS - Southwestern University Football officially unveiled the 2026 schedule ahead of the squad's fourth season competing in the Southern Athletic Association. The regular season features five home games and five on the road.

The Southwestern community is ecstatic to unveil the new Multi-Purpose Athletic Complex at Dice Field to supply Football on-campus by the fall of 2026. The stadium will primarily host Football games, but also serve as a backup location for lacrosse, host graduations, community events, and more. Pirate Football plans to officially play the first game in the new stadium on October 24th against Rhodes College at 12 p.m. This date is dependant upon the progression of the current construction, as you can view drone pictures of the progress here. The link shows the rapid steps made to the space and offers a giving link to help us make continuous improvements on the project in the years to come, along with making your own mark on Southwestern Univerisity Athletics. 

Additionally, to ensure the stadium is fully complete the Pirates plan to play their first two home games at the Georgetown ISD - Birkelbach Stadium. The Multi-Purpose Sports Complex will supply lasting space for students, alumni, parents, and fans to gather, celebrate, and connect—cementing the role of athletics and school spirit in the Southwestern Experience. Stay tuned to the supirates social media accounts or the Southwestern Athletics Mobile app for further updates regarding the new stadium as the construction continues, along with the announcement of online ticket sales. 

Southwestern opens the season, hosting McMurry University (Sep. 5 - 6 p.m.) for the third straight year. The Pirates have won three straight against the Warhawks in thrilling fashions as all were decided by one score. The following week features a quick roadtrip south to Texas Lutheran University (Sep. 12 - 6 p.m.) in Seguin. Southwestern looks to avenge their last second 38-35 loss in the riveting 2025 battle at Birkelbach. The non-conference slate concludes with a new opponent to the schedule against Schreiner University (Sep. 19 - 6 p.m.) in Kerrville ahead of their inaugural season. 

The SAA slate starts on the road against Sewanee (Oct. 3 - 1 p.m.) in Tennessee as the Pirates took down the Tigers 39-31 last year. Next week, Southwestern hosts Trinity University (Oct. 10 - 1 p.m.) before traveling to Berry College in Georgia. The Vikings advanced to the NCAA Fourth Round last season, while the Tigers were eliminated by the Vikings in the Third Round. The Pirates return home for the next two weekends against Rhodes College (Oct. 24 - 12 p.m.) and Millsaps College (Oct. 31 - 1 p.m.). In 2025, Southwestern handled the Lynx by two scores, but fell in narrow defeat to the Majors, 27-24. Southwestern's final road game comes against another stern SAA opponent in Maryville College (Nov. 7 - 11 a.m. CT) in Tennessee, before hosting Centre College (Nov. 14 - 1 p.m.) which was a defensive battle last year. 

The 2026 Pirate offense returns 10 starters who averaged 26 points per game, while the defense brings back five starters. The 2025 squad finished 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the SAA for the second straight season. Southwestern started strong at 3-2, but ran into a tough stretch losing four of the final five games as three of their losses were decided by three points in 2025. However, the Pirates received 11 standouts to the All-SAA list which marked a season-high in the three seasons. The Pirates return five of the All-SAA honorees in senior linebacker/defensive back Jameer Martin, senior wide receiver Graydon Thompson, senior quarterback Jacob Smith, junior running back Tycen Williams, and junior edge Braeden Cundiff. 

Head Coach Bill Kriesel enters his second full season at the helm, entering his 14th season with the program. Kriesel served a variety of roles since 2013 before being named Interim Head Coach in 2024 and taking the head job for the 2025 season. Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator is Nick Mask.

Coach Mask explained "We look forward to getting the 2026 season underway. Our non-conference slate allows us to keep competing against some traditional SU in-state rivalries, while we look to continue establishing ourselves in the SAA. With one of our larger returning rosters in some time, we are excited to seeing our student-athletes showcase the work they've put in, especially in front of our home fans with our return to playing games on campus!"