Football

Bentley Football Picked to Repeat in NE10 Coaches' Poll

Falcons Earn Top Spot for Second Straight Year

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – For the second straight season, Bentley - the reigning conference champion - has been picked first in the Northeast 10 Conference Football Coaches' Poll. Head coaches vote in the poll and the results were announced by the league office on Monday morning.  

Bentley received 47 points and five first-place votes in the poll, holding off second-place Assumption which had 45 points. Franklin Pierce (33 points) and Southern Connecticut (31 points) rounded-out the top half of the league. 

Bentley won its fifth conference title in program history in 2025 under first-year head coach CJ Scarpa.The Falcons finished with a 7-4 record, including a 6-1 mark in NE10 games, and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. It was the first time in league history that the NE10 champion received an automatic bid into NCAA postseason play.

Assumption is coming off a season where it advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, going 9-3 (6-1 NE10) overall. Franklin Pierce finished third last season in the NE10 standings while setting a program record for wins with six, its most since joining Division II in 2019. 

Saint Anselm placed fifth in the poll with 27 points, American International was sixth with 18 points, Post was seventh with 12 points and Pace was eighth with 11 points. 

The 2026 NE10 season opens with a pair of 1 p.m. kick-offs on Saturday, August 29th. Post travels to West Virginia Wesleyan College, while AIC hosts Monroe University. All home games and conference games can be watched this season on NE10 NOW on FloSports. 

2026 NE10 Football Coaches' Poll
Rank Team Votes (1st Place)
1 Bentley Falcons 47 (5)
2 Assumption Greyhounds 45 (3)
3    Franklin Pierce Ravens 33
4 SCSU Owls 31
5 Saint Anselm Hawks 27
6 AIC Yellow Jackets 18
7 Post Eagles 12
8 Pace Setters 11

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
 
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast 10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.