The Springfield Pride football program represents Springfield College in college football at the NCAA Division III level. The Pride have competed as members of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) since 2017, when the conference began sponsoring football. Springfield plays its home games at the Stagg Field in Springfield, Massachusetts. Stagg Field opened in 1971 as Benedum Field was renamed in 2007 in honor of Amos Alonzo Stagg, who initiated Springfield's football program in 1890 and was the team's first coach. Mike Cerasuolo has served as the team's head coach since 2016. Mike DeLong was the program's head coach from 1984 to 2015, compiling a record of 189–133–2. His 189 wins are the most of any head coach in program history.
| Springfield Pride football | |
|---|---|
| First season | 1890 |
| Athletic director | Craig Poisson |
| Head coach | Mike Cerasuolo 7th season, 54–23 (.701) |
| Stadium | Stagg Field (capacity: 3,867) |
| Year built | 1971 |
| Field surface | FieldTurf |
| Location | Springfield, Massachusetts |
| NCAA division | Division III |
| Conference | New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference |
| Past conferences | Freedom Football Conference (1995–2003) Empire 8 (2004–2011) Liberty League (2012–2016) |
| Bowl record | 6–0 (1.000) |
| Playoff appearances | 9 |
| Playoff record | 4–9 |
| Conference titles | 8 |
| Colors | Maroon and white[1] |
Springfield's football program was a member of the Freedom Football Conference (FFC) from 1995 to 2003, the Empire 8 from 2004 to 2011, and the Liberty League from 2012 to 2016. The team has won eight conferences, five in the FFC, in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2003, and one in the Empire 8, in 2006, under Delong. The Pride have won two NEWMAC championships, in 2017 and 2021, under Cerasuolo. Springfield has appeared in the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs nine times, in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Springfield adopted the "Pride" nickname in 1996.[2] They have previously been known as the Red and White, Gymnasts, Maroons, and Chiefs.
Playoff appearances
NCAA Division III
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | First Round | Buffalo State | L, 35–38 |
| 2000 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Montclair State Brockport Widener | W, 31–29 W, 13–6 L, 27–61 |
| 2002 | First Round | Brockport | L, 0–16 |
| 2003 | Second Round | RPI | L, 34–40 |
| 2006 | First Round Second Round | Curry St. John Fisher | W, 42–14 L, 21–27 |
| 2017 | First Round | Husson | L, 21–23 |
| 2021 | First Round | Cortland State | L, 21–26 |
| 2022 | First Round Second Round | Endicott Ithaca | W, 17–14 L, 20–31 |
| 2023 | First Round | Ithaca | L, 7–21 |