AREA COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS UNDERWAY FOR 2025

The Wildcats will lean on Shane Hartzell, Villanova linebacker, to keep the defense on track. Photo courtesy of Villanova University.

A new season means new things, including a couple of old faces in new places and a new division to play in for one of the Philadelphia-area college football teams.

K.C. Keeler was a successful head coach at Rowan (five title game appearances), Delaware (winning the 2003 FCS Championship), and Sam Houston State (winning the 2021 FCS Championship). He then led the Bearkats to the FBS level and a bowl game before returning to take over Temple. The Owls open August 30 at UMass.

Keeler's alma mater, the University of Delaware, transitions to FBS this season. They will play in Conference USA but are not eligible for postseason play this season.

The new era for the Fighting Blue Hens kicks off on August 28, when they entertain Delaware State.

Former Eagles Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson will debut as head coach at Delaware State. Photo from  dsuhornets.com

It’s a new era for Delaware State as well because this will be the first game as Hornets head coach for DeSean Jackson.  Delaware State won two games combined over the previous two seasons and was picked to finish last in the MEAC.

“Coming into this situation," Jackson said at MEAC Media Day, "we can't do anything but go up. I'm good at the bottom right now, but I guarantee we're not going to stay there."

While playoffs in college football aren't new, the Ivy League's participation in them is. Starting this season, the champion of the Ancient Eight will get an automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.

Penn, who was 4-6 last year (just the second losing season in Ray Priore's nine years as head coach), starts the postseason quest September 20 (the Ivy still starts two weeks after everyone else) at Stonehill. Their rival, Princeton, is looking to bounce back from a 3-7 season and will open at home on September 20, with San Diego visiting.

Villanova was 10-4 in 2024 with a playoff berth for the fourth time in six seasons. Wildcats’ linebacker Shane Hartzell, a Stats Perform FCS preseason second-team All-American, is ready for the September 6 opener against Colgate at home, where the 'Cats were 7-0 last year.

"Last year is last year," he said, during the CAA Football Media Day, "and we have a whole new team coming in. We're focusing on building chemistry with the guys we have now and continuing to build off last season."

Rowan was 6-4 in the first season under Pat Ruley. The Profs won their final three games, and two of the games they lost were to teams that finished the season ranked in the top five nationally (Johns Hopkins – No. 3 and Salisbury – No. 5) in the Division III AFCA Coaches’ poll. On September 6, Rowan opens at home - where they were 4-0 a season ago - with Case Western Reserve.

Widener had a mark of 5-6 in 2024, including a loss to Muhlenberg in a Centennial-MAC Bowl Series game. The Pride returns defensive end Jalen Walker, who was named second team

Preseason All-American by D3Football.com.

Walker was an All-American in his junior season with 44 tackles, 24.5 tackles for losses (102 yards), 14 sacks, and four quarterback hurries. The season opens on September 6, when Geneva visits Quick Stadium.

Eastern won four of its last five games to finish 5-5 in 2024. Dual-threat quarterback Brett Nabb is looking to lead the Eagles to greater heights in the program’s third full season. It gets started on September 6, when they host Anna Maria College.

TCNJ had a school record with 16 players named to the NJAC all-conference teams; six of them return. The Lions were 6-4 under interim head coach Eric Jendryaszek, and it was their first winning season since 2011.

Tyler Moody takes the helm for the College of New Jersey. Photo from tcnjathletics.com

Tyler Moody takes the helm, trying to guide the Lions to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2003 and 2004. They are at Lycoming on September 6 to open the season.

Delaware Valley was 8-3 in 2024. At many places that would be a season to celebrate, Del Val isn't one of them. The Aggies saw their six-year run as MAC Champions end, their 50-game conference winning streak was snapped, and they lost three games for the first time since 2014.

They look for redemption starting September 6, when Hampden-Sydney comes to Doylestown.

Last season, Ursinus made its first appearance in the Division III Playoffs since 1999 on the way to a 9-2 record. This year, a pair of second-team All-Centennial Conference defensive linemen – Sean Spinosa and Aaron Rios – will try to lead the Bears back. They open September 5 at Alverna.

Lincoln was 2-8 last season, and to make matters worse, quarterback Isaiah Freeman transferred.

Head coach Frank Turner and the Lions will be challenged out of the gate with a trip to No. 3 Grand Valley State on August 30.

West Chester was 4-6 in Duke Greco’s first season, but won four of six to finish the season.

The Golden Rams will need that momentum to carry over because they will be tested early with trips to Bentley, which is the favorite to win the Northeast 10 Conference, on September 6.

Then, it's a trip to California of PA, a playoff team a year ago and ranked 15th in the nation to start the season. *

Email Rock Hoffman at rock@footballstories.com