D2 Football Off Season Headline Review

August 1st, 2026 9:00am

By Chuck Bitner, D2Football.com

As the calendar turns to August, we can officially say football starts this month. We are in the thick of media day season with more than half the D2 leagues conducting media days in July.The remainder are expected this coming week, with a few trickling into mid-August. With teams reporting to camps in a matter of days, it’s a good time to revisit the top headlines of the offseason. Here is a rundown of the major events and news stories since last December…

Coaching Changes

More than two dozen programs will be led by a first-year head coach this fall. For a full review of all the coaching changes for 2026, check out our coaching change tracker. 

Here is a selection of  the most notable changes that fans should be aware of…

• Harding (GAC)
  • Outgoing coach: Paul Simmons - Harding announced on Jan. 6 that national champion head coach Paul Simmons will transition to the role of General Manager of Harding Football. 
  • Incoming coach: Roddy Mote - As part of Paul Simmons' transition to the role of GM, defensive coordinator Roddy Mote has been promoted to head coach.
• UT Permian Basin (LSC)
  • Outgoing coach: Kris McCullough - After three years leading UTPB, Kris McCullough accepted the head coaching position at Gardner-Webb (FCS). 
  • Incoming coach: Chris Softley - UTPB announced the hiring of Chris Softley on Dec. 31. Softey had been head coach at Lubbock Christian School for the past nine years, with a record of 101-22, with  two state championships.
• Delta State (GSC)
  • Outgoing coach: Todd Cooley - After 13 years as head coach, Todd Cooley resigned his position to join Pete Golding's staff at Ole Miss
  • Incoming coach: David Dean - Delta State wasted little time in landing their new head coach. David Dean makes his third GSC stop as he now takes leadership of the Delta State program. Dean was previously head coach at Valdosta State, where he won a pair of national championships, and West Georgia.
• Bowie State (CIAA)
  • Outgoing coach: Kyle Jackson - Bowie State announced on Nov. 21 that Kyle Jackson's contract would not be renewed. Jackson inherited a program that had won three straight CIAA championships, but  the Bulldogs were 19-21 in his tenure with losing seasons in 2024 and 2025.
  • Incoming coach: Dawson Odums - After weeks of speculation, Bowie State confirmed the hiring of veteran head coach Dawson Odums on Feb. 9. Odums has prior head coaching stints at Southern and Norfolk State. 
• Central Washington (LSC)
  • Outgoing coach: Chris Fisk - On Dec. 12 Chris Fisk accepted the head coach position at D1 Portland State.
  • Incoming coach: Scott Power - Hired on Dec. 30, CWU welcomes back former defensive coordinator Scott Power.

Membership changes

• In April, The University of West Florida announced that its athletics programs will reclassify from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I. The transition is set to begin this coming fall.  West Florida’s time as a Division II football team was brief but memorable. The program began competition just 10 years ago, yet in that time it established itself as a national power. The Argos reached the Division II playoffs six times in their first decade. They reached the national finals in just their second year of existence and won the national championship in 2019. 
• The Northeast 10’s struggle to maintain consistent membership continues. The latest casualty is St. Anselm. The Hawks program will remain in Division II for the 2026 / 2027 academic year but will then reclassify to Division III.
• Jamestown, Sul Ross and Roosevelt have successfully completed the provisional membership process and will become full members of Division II on September 1. 
• Texas A&M-Texarkana advanced to year three of the provisional membership process. The University is transitioning from NAIA and will launch football in 2027. The program also announced the hiring of its first head coach, Joshua Eargle. 
• Ferrum, who is competing as a full member of Conference Carolinas, advanced to year two of the provisional membership process, as did Shawnee State. The latter is transitioning from NAIA and will launch football in 2028. They will become a full member of the Mountain East Conference. 
• Lackawanna College (PSAC) and Monroe University (Ind) are set to compete in Division II this fall. Both are transitioning from National Junior College Athletics. Neither institution will be considered a Division II provisional member at the start of the season but both are expected to be accepted into the provisional membership process during the academic year. 

Transfer Windows

The Division II Executive Board adopted emergency legislation to establish a transfer window in football that took effect June 1. Modeled after the Division I football transfer window, this legislation will require a Division II football student-athlete to initiate the notification-of-transfer process during a Jan. 2-16 window unless using an applicable exception.

Five-for-Five

Earlier this calendar year, Division II briefly flirted with the idea of voting on legislation to allow up to five years of eligibility, within a five year span. While there was a lot of support for the idea, the membership concluded that more time was needed to fully vet the impact of such a change. Since then, Division I has run with the idea which changes the entire landscape of collegiate sports eligibility. The Division II Management Council is now recommending emergency legislation to adopt an age-based eligibility model. There is some nuance to when the five-year clock starts for a student-athlete, but this is a five-year eligibility proposal. 

“As we continue evaluating the future of Division II eligibility, our focus remains on creating legislation that is not only easy to understand but is also equitable and centered on the student-athlete experience,” said Ben Cherry, faculty athletics representative at Cal State San Marcos and chair of the Management Council. “This age-based model simplifies the rules structure by providing clarity and consistency while continuing to support academic success and student-athlete well-being.” 

GSC loses AQ status

In 2025, The Division II football championship tournament awarded automatic bids to conference champions for the first time ever. It was a major change for a tournament that never allowed automatic bids, but it did come with some requirements regarding membership. NCAA rules specify that a conference must have at least eight teams to be given automatic access to the playoffs. The Gulf South Conference, with just four teams in 2025, was granted a waiver on that rule. West Florida’s immediate reclassification to Division I leaves only three football-playing schools in the GSC as we enter 2026. Predictably, the Division II membership voted against extending the waiver, meaning the GSC does not have automatic qualifying status. Delta State, Valdosta State and West Alabama can still qualify for the playoffs as at-large teams in Super Region Two. 

Changing Conferences

One of the most significant news stories of the off season is also one of the most recent. The University of Indianapolis, which is an original member of the GLVC, will change conferences for the 2027 / 2028 academic year. The Greyhounds will join the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. 

New Commissioners

Three conferences will have new leadership this fall. In the PSAC, Steve Murray retired after serving 29 years as conference commissioner. Long-time staff member Carlin Chesick has been promoted to the role of commissioner. The South Atlantic Conference membership has appointed Lindsey Babcock as commissioner. She succeeds Patrick Britz who retired after 18 years leading the conference. The Gulf South Conference hired Bill Popp as its new commissioner on July 7. Popp was previously a conference commissioner in NAIA. 

Steady Leadership

Elsewhere in commissioner news, the MIAA signed Mike Racy to a contract extension that will keep with the league through 2031. 

In memoriam

Former Emory & Henry head coach Curt Newsome passed away in May. Newsome retired before the 2025 season after serving 10 years as head coach, including the first two seasons of the Wasps’ successful move to Division II.