April 16th, 2026 12:00pm
Earlier this week, The Mountain East Conference released its 2026 composite schedule. The MEC has nine participating members heading into 2026 so all teams will play each other in an 8-game conference slate. That leaves up to three open dates for every team, allowing for a lot of action against teams from other conferences. From a scheduling perspective, I have to give a big thumbs up to the MEC schools. As a group, they did a great job of finding quality opponents and intriguing matchups to fill out the schedule. None moreso than Charleston. The Eagles will continue their series with PSAC heavyweight California and also added defending Conference Carolinas champion North Greenville and four-time Division II national champion Grand Valley State.
Frostburg State is the defending MEC Champion. The Bobcats finished 7-1 in league play and 11-3 overall. The program earned its first ever invitation to the Division II playoffs and won first and second round games on the road. The season ended in the Super Region One final at Kutztown.
Digging deeper into the 2026 composite schedule, here is what stands out...
The season will kickoff early for eight of the league's programs with week zero action taking place August 27-29. Three of those games will take place on opening night, Thursday, Aug. 27.
Charleston will host Grand Valley State of the GLIAC on opening night at UC Stadium in what will possibly be the most high-profile game of the regular season for the MEC. Elsewhere in week zero, Glenville State (at Elon) and Concord (at Davidson will take on Division I opponents.
Week one will deliver a handful of MEC v. PSAC contests. Fairmont State will open with Bloomsburg for the fourth consecutive season (and third time at home) while Charleston continues its series with California (Pa). West Virginia Wesleyan will open a new era with Mike Kellar as head coach in a road contest at Clarion. Frostburg State will open at Shepherd. The Bobcats defeated the Rams in the opener in the 2025 season opener.
The out-of-conference action continues in week two with 2025 playoff participant Assumption of the Northeast 10 visiting Frostburg State. Charleston will continue it's opening strech grind with a road game at defending Conferene Carolinas champion North Greenville, while Fairmont State visits GMAC territory to take on a Findlay team that fnished 10-2 last year.
Conference play kicks off in week three but there will be one out-of-league game with Glenville State visiting Mercyhurst. It will be the Pioneers' second D1 opponent in the opening four weeks.
Here are five MEC games to spotlight once conference play kicks into full swing...
Sept. 26: West Virginia State at Fairmont State
Oct. 10: Frostburg State at Glenville State
Oct. 17: Charleston at Frostburg State
Oct. 24: Fairmont State at Charleston
Nov. 14: West Liberty at Wheeling