CLINTON, S.C. – The debut season for #RahlBall has been formally laid out, as Presbyterian Football head coach Matt Rahl unveiled the Blue Hose 2026 schedule on Tuesday morning.

PC will partake in 11 games this fall, hosting five opponents and beginning the campaign on Thursday, August 27 versus UVA Wise at Bailey Memorial Stadium.

Rahl was promoted to the title of head coach on December 29 after spending two seasons as a Blue Hose assistant, aiding the offensive line to a banner year in 2025.

The 2026 squad will have quite an act to follow, as Presbyterian reached a 10-win record for the third time in school history, climbed as high as #16 in the AFCA rankings thanks to a 7-0 start, and claimed 11 All-Pioneer Football League selections.

Commented Rahl, "I'm very excited to compete against a very challenging schedule. We have yet again set up a difficult non-conference schedule which will lead to an always-challenging PFL slate.

"We're eager to begin the season under the lights at Bailey Memorial Stadium. Be Early, Be Loud, Wear BLUE!!"

The Blue Hose have won their last eight home games dating back to 2024, tied for the sixth-longest active streak at the FCS level. Last year, the Blue Hose tied for second in the PFL standings (their best finish since joining the conference in 2021).


 
SEASON TICKETS COMING SOON

 
- Season and single-game tickets for the upcoming PC football season will soon be available on BlueHoseTix.com.

- Fans can look forward to the team's Spring Game, which will take place on Saturday, April 18 at 6:00 PM.






 
OPENING DAY + SEPTEMBER

 
- For the second time in three seasons, the Blue Hose will be playing game number one on a Thursday evening. They'll open the schedule on their home turf for the first time since 2021 when UVA Wise comes to town.

- It will be just the third all-time meeting between the two schools, who have not met since the turn of the century (a 56-7 PC win in 2000). UVA Wise is a Division II institution based out of the South Atlantic Conference, a program that went 1-9 last fall.

- Presby's second encounter will certainly be an interesting day at the office, returning to Mercer to face a team that has won back-to-back Southern Conference championships and has advanced to the FCS Playoffs in three consecutive years.

- The Blue Hose made shockwaves around the college football world when they went to Macon and stunned then-#11 Mercer by a 15-10 count in last season's opener. The Bears did not lose to another FCS school until the Playoffs, running the table in the SoCon.

- The highest-ranked win in program history, that upset over Mercer ended a 35-game losing streak from the PFL against non-conference top-25 opponents.

- Coach Rahl's club will have two BYE weeks in 2026, with the first one coming after the trip to Mercer. They'll stay on the road for their last game against a non-conference foe, headed to Western Carolina on September 19.

- As always, there will be eight Pioneer League encounters that span the rest of the schedule. PC will finish a three-game road swing on the 26^th when they head to New York for the conference opener at Marist.

- The Scotsmen closed last season against that same Marist enemy, winning a 29-25 thriller in Clinton to complete their first undefeated home season (minimum four games) since 1998.


 
OCTOBER

 
- PC will play five games in the month of October, starting with St. Thomas back at Bailey on the 3^rd. The Blue Hose bumped the Tommies in Minnesota last year by a 23-9 margin, keeping an offense that was averaging 46 points per game in their prior five appearances to zero offensive touchdowns.

- Coach Rahl and co. will stay on their home base for the annual Carolina Border Clash on October 10, welcoming Davidson in one of the PFL's most anticipated rivalries.

- It will be the 37^th all-time meeting between the two schools where the Battle for the 1919 Cup is up for grabs. Davidson will be playing at Bailey for the first time since 2022.

- Presbyterian makes back-to-back road trips on the 17^th and 24^th during the heart of league play, visiting Stetson and Valparaiso (two teams that PC steamrolled last year).

- In front of a capacity crowd of seven thousand plus, the Blue Hose defeated Stetson by 35 points last year to win their 11^th game in a row (a number that was tied for the second-longest streak in Division I at the time). The team surpassed 365 days without taking a single L.

- PC similarly belted the Beacons by 29, helping them stay in the conference title picture and achieve an 8-1 overall record for just the second time in program history.

- Halloween night will signal the next event for the Blue Hose, hoping to win their third in a row over Butler in the penultimate home game of 2026.

- That is set to be Presby's first game on October 31^st in 11 years. Each of the last two contests with the Bulldogs have been decided in the final minutes, with PC winning in Indianapolis last fall by a 31-25 differential.


 
NOVEMBER

 
- The second BYE will be put in motion after the Butler duel, setting up the last road game for Coach Rahl's unit on November 14 against Morehead State.

- Presbyterian decimated the Eagles in last year's PFL opener 41-0, the team's first shutout in a conference game since 2006. The overall series against MSU is knotted up at three wins apiece, with the last two games in Kentucky decided by four and seven points respectively.

- The Blue Hose will have the benefit of closing their season at home for the fourth consecutive time, enacting Senior Day on the 21^st versus Dayton.

- They'll hope for a measure of revenge on the Flyers, who were responsible for ending the perfect season in Ohio last time around.



2026 BLUE HOSE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

 

Date	Opponent	Series History	Most Recent Meeting	Opponents' 2025 Record
Aug. 27	UVA Wise	3rd Meeting; PC Leads, 2-0	2000 (PC Wins, 56-7)	1-9 (1-8 in SAC)
Sept. 5	@ Mercer	18th Meeting; Mercer Leads, 11-6	2025 (PC Wins, 15-10)	9-3 (8-0 in SoCon)
Sept. 19	@ Western Carolina	21st Meeting; Western Carolina Leads, 11-9	2022 (Western Carolina Wins, 77-21)	7-5 (6-2 in SoCon)
Sept. 26	@ Marist*	6th Meeting; Marist Leads, 3-2	2025 (PC Wins, 29-25)	5-7 (3-5 in PFL)
Oct. 3	St. Thomas*	4th Meeting; St. Thomas Leads, 2-1	2025 (PC Wins, 23-9)	7-5 (5-3 in PFL)
Oct. 10	Davidson*	37th Meeting; Davidson Leads, 20-14-2	2025 (Davidson Wins, 14-13)	2-10 (1-7 in PFL)
Oct. 17	@ Stetson*	17th Meeting; PC Leads, 11-3-2	2025 (PC Wins, 42-7)	3-9 (2-6 in PFL)
Oct. 24	@ Valparaiso*	4th Meeting; Valparaiso Leads, 2-1	2025 (PC Wins, 43-14)	2-10 (1-7 in PFL)
Oct. 31	Butler*	4th Meeting; PC Leads, 2-1	2025 (PC Wins, 31-25)	6-6 (4-4 in PFL)
Nov. 14	@ Morehead State*	Series Tied at 3-3	2025 (PC Wins, 41-0)	6-6 (4-4 in PFL)
Nov. 21	Dayton*	6th Meeting; Dayton Leads, 3-2	2025 (Dayton Wins, 35-19)	7-4 (5-3 in PFL)