New Hampshire
8-5 2025 finalNew Hampshire is the Walter Payton Award program that put Durham on the FCS map with 14 straight playoffs, and Ricky Santos — the award winner himself — is now the head coach proving the standard was never an accident.
The Wildcats are on the prowl.
New Hampshire is the Walter Payton Award program that put Durham on the FCS map with 14 straight playoffs, and Ricky Santos — the award winner himself — is now the head coach proving the standard was never an accident.
New Hampshire went 8-5 (6-2 CAA) in 2025 — fifth-year head coach Ricky Santos' best season yet, earning an FCS playoff bid before a 3-41 first-round loss to South Dakota State. The 2025 result matches the 2024 record (8-5, 6-2 CAA…
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
The Pulse on New Hampshire
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · New Hampshire
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.
New Hampshire · 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 · New Hampshire · medium confidence
Growing (54)
Home-Field Advantage · New Hampshire · 2018-present
Above-Average
62% home win rate vs 50% on the road. margin runs +4.3 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Warming
Four of five. The board favors this trend.
CAA Standing · 2025
4th in the CAA
New Hampshire sits 4th of 14 in the CAA at 8-5. Mid-conference — moves up or down depend on rivalry results and the late-season closing run.
| # | 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 · New Hampshire · 2025
Balanced
Average opponent win rate 50% across 13 finalized games. No top-25 opponents, but mid-tier slate kept the schedule honest.
FCS → NFL Pipeline
2024–2024Developing
1 picks last 5 cycles. The pipeline is real but still building volume.
Moment of the Year · New Hampshire · 2025
Won 27-10 at North Carolina Central
Week 1 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
From the Archive — New Hampshire
2021: Lost 3-28 at Rhode Island
In 2021, the program lost 3-28 at Rhode Island — a stinging road result, 25 points either way.
Wildcats own the night.