Bellarmine University’s sprint football team has released its 2026 schedule, according to an announcement from head coach Harold Davis. The upcoming season marks the fifth year of competition for the Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL), which will feature five teams following Saint Mary-of-the-Woods’ departure to the NAIA.
The MSFL’s format for 2026 includes each team playing the other four teams twice—once at home and once away—for a total of eight games per team. The regular season is set to begin on Saturday, September 12, and all games are scheduled for Saturdays. Each team will have two bye weeks during the ten-week regular season. The top two teams in the league standings will compete in the MSFL Championship on November 21, with hosting rights awarded to the higher seed.
Prior to league play, Bellarmine will host Army in an exhibition game on September 5. This follows last year’s meeting between the two programs at Army’s venue. Last season, Army started strong with a 7-0 record before losing to Navy in overtime in their final game.
Bellarmine opens its regular season at home against Oakland City University (OCU) on September 12. OCU finished winless last year and has yet to defeat Bellarmine since joining the league.
On September 19, Bellarmine travels to Midway University for a rematch after suffering a significant loss there last season. The Knights had previously won four consecutive games against Midway before that defeat.
The Knights then face Quincy University away on September 26; Bellarmine narrowly won their previous matchup and holds a slight edge in their all-time series.
After a bye week, Bellarmine hosts Calumet College of St. Joseph on October 10. Calumet has been one of Bellarmine’s toughest rivals, winning six out of seven encounters and finishing as league runner-up last year after back-to-back championships in prior seasons.
The remainder of Bellarmine’s schedule includes another game against OCU (October 17), home matches versus Quincy (October 24) and Midway (October 31), followed by an away game at Calumet (November 14). Their second bye week precedes this final road contest.
Last season saw Bellarmine finish with a regular-season record of three wins and four losses before being eliminated by Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in the semifinals of the MSFL playoffs.
For more information about Bellarmine athletics or updates throughout the sprint football season, fans can follow official accounts on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
