WHITTIER, Calif. (Jan. 14, 2026) — Whittier College Athletics has officially announced the schedule for the return of Poets football during the Fall 2026 season, marking the program's return to Wallace "Chief" Newman Field at Memorial Stadium, and a significant milestone in the College's athletic history. The schedule features a blend of non-conference contests, long-standing SCIAC rivalries, and six marquee home contests at Memorial Stadium. It will also mark the first time in the rich history of the program that the Poets have played the NCAA Division III maximum 10 allowable games.
Full Schedule
Head Coach
Cory White and the Poets will open the season on Sept. 5th with a home tilt against Simpson University, serving as Whittier's first official game since the program's return was announced. The opener provides an early opportunity for the Poets to showcase the foundation of the rebuilt program in front of what should be a raucous home crowd eager to welcome football back to the City of Whittier.
One of the more irreverent and unique games on the schedule comes the following week when Whittier hosts CETYS University on Sept. 12th in an international exhibition game. The Poets have never hosted a game of this variety and should be in for a competitive game with the Mexicali, Tijuana-based Zorros; a team that went 10-0 in 2024.
Non-conference play continues on the road against Azusa Pacific University on Sept. 19th, a familiar historical foe that will soon become a SCIAC foe. The Cougars are set to become the SCIAC's 10th member team following a two-year probationary period that is set to begin in 2026. They will be sure to provide the Poets with an early season measuring stick before SCIAC play ramps up in the ensuing weeks.
Conference play begins on Oct. 3rd at Chapman University, opening SCIAC action against a perennial conference contender. SCIAC football returns to Memorial Stadium the following week when the Poets host Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Oct. 10. Whittier will hit the road to face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges the following week on Oct. 7th.
Homecoming is set to hit Whittier College on Oct. 24. In the return of the annual Homecoming Game, the Poets will host the University of Redlands over a weekend expected to draw a record number of alumni, students, and supporters back to campus.
The regular season rolls on from there, with Whittier set to host California Lutheran University on Halloween Night before traveling to the University of La Verne on Nov. 7. The first regular season in the new era of Poet football will conclude on Nov. 14 when the Poets rematch APU, this time with the game set to take place at Memorial Stadium. The Cougars football program is in a similar spot to the Poets, having gone dormant following financial restructuring of the school on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, both games should represent two realistic obstacles for White and the Poets to overcome.
With five home games on the docket, 2026 promises to be as important of a year as any for the upstart Poets. Stay tuned to
wcpoets.com for future ticket information.
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