Maine is the northernmost FCS program, chasing a return to the 2018 playoff magic that put Orono on the national map — the Black Bears have made eight FCS playoff runs and keep building toward the next one.
The Bears are in the woods.
Maine is the northernmost FCS program, chasing a return to the 2018 playoff magic that put Orono on the national map — the Black Bears have made eight FCS playoff runs and keep building toward the next one.
Maine finished 6-6 (5-3 CAA) in 2025 under fourth-year head coach Jordan Stevens — a .500 season that represents progress from the trough but still falls short of the playoff qualification the program wants. Stevens' 9-25 record t…
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
The Pulse on Maine
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · Maine
The season's first milestone.
Competitive for the conference crown.
24-team bracket qualifier — realistic in a strong year.
The FCS championship weekend. A generational leap.
Maine · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Who We Are
Fanbase Health Index · Maine · medium confidence
Stable (48)
Home-Field Advantage · Maine · 2018-present
Above-Average
44% home win rate vs 31% on the road. margin runs +6.2 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Mixed
Three of five. Trending up, not yet hot.
CAA Standing · 2025
7th in the CAA
Maine is 7th of 14 in the CAA at 6-6. The path to the title is steep — the focus is on playoff positioning and rivalry wins.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villanova | 12-3 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 11-3 |
| 3 | Monmouth | 9-3 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 8-5 |
| 5 | William & Mary | 7-5 |
| 6 | Elon | 6-6 |
| 7 | Maine | 6-6 |
| 8 | Stony Brook | 6-6 |
| 9 | Towson | 6-6 |
| 10 | Bryant | 3-9 |
| 11 | Campbell | 2-10 |
| 12 | Hampton | 2-10 |
| 13 | North Carolina A&T | 2-10 |
| 14 | UAlbany | 2-10 |
Schedule Strength · Maine · 2025
Soft
Average opponent win rate 42% across 12 finalized games. Few elite opponents on the slate — win quality matters for the at-large bracket.
Moment of the Year · Maine · 2025
Won 34-14 at Bryant
Week 6 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
From the Archive — Maine
2025: Won 35-7 at Hampton
In 2025, the program won 35-7 at Hampton — a blowout road result that left the 28-point margin on the books.
The Bears eat tonight.