CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Campbellsville University will begin the 2026 football season ranked No. 14 in the Netting Professionals NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Monday.
The preseason recognition follows an 8-3 season in which the Fighting Tigers advanced to the second round of the NAIA Football Championship Series and finished No. 11 in the postseason poll. Campbellsville went 4-2 in Mid-South Conference play and recorded its first appearance in the national postseason since 2015.
Campbellsville produced 4,929 yards of total offense and averaged 448.1 yards per game in 2025. The Tigers scored 432 points while holding opponents to 256. Defensively, Campbellsville limited opponents to 112.7 rushing yards per game, recorded 26 sacks, and forced 26 turnovers.
The 2026 campaign will mark the first season under head coach
Hunter Brown, a Campbellsville alumnus and former All-American quarterback. Brown succeeded Jake Russell after previously serving on the Tigers' coaching staff in several offensive and recruiting roles.
Two-time defending national champion Grand View received all 13 first-place votes and holds the No. 1 position. Keiser is ranked second, followed by Benedictine, College of Idaho, and Montana Tech. Campbellsville is one of three Mid-South Conference programs in the preseason Top 25, joining No. 6 Lindsey Wilson and No. 20 Georgetown.
The Tigers' schedule includes three preseason-ranked opponents. Campbellsville will open the season against No. 17 Saint Francis at noon Aug. 29 at Finley Stadium before visiting Pikeville on Sept. 5. The Tigers will travel to Lindsey Wilson on Oct. 3 and close the regular season at home against Georgetown on Nov. 7.
Campbellsville has four home games scheduled for 2026, including match-ups with Saint Francis, Webber International, (RV) Cumberland, and #20 Georgetown.
| 1 |
Grand View (Iowa) [13] |
14-0 |
| 2 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
12-1 |
| 3 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
12-2 |
| 4 |
College of Idaho |
11-2 |
| 5 |
Montana Tech |
12-1 |
| 6 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
10-2 |
| 7 |
Morningside (Iowa) |
9-3 |
| 8 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
10-1 |
| T-9 |
Friends (Kan.) |
12-1 |
| T-9 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
9-3 |
| 11 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
9-3 |
| 12 |
Marian (Ind.) |
8-4 |
| 13 |
William Penn (Iowa) |
11-2 |
| 14 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
8-3 |
| 15 |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
9-3 |
| 16 |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
7-4 |
| 17 |
Saint Francis (Ind.) |
10-3 |
| 18 |
Montana Western |
7-3 |
| 19 |
Evangel (Mo.) |
9-3 |
| 20 |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
7-3 |
| 21 |
McPherson (Kan.) |
9-2 |
| 22 |
Southwestern (Kan.) |
8-3 |
| 23 |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
7-4 |
| 24 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
6-4 |
| 25 |
Dakota State (S.D.) |
8-2 |
Receiving Votes: Baker (Kan.), Bethel (Tenn.), Concordia (Neb.), Cumberland (Tenn.), Dickinson State (N.D.), Kansas Wesleyan, Louisiana Christian, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), OUAZ (Ariz.), Pikeville (Ky.), Saint Xavier (Ill.), St. Francis (Ill.), Taylor (Ind.), Texas Wesleyan.
