Mercy Rule

vu72 — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 02:16:15 +0000

Here in Texas, among small schools playing 9 man football, there is something called the “mercy” rule. Essentially 50 point lead in the second half ends the game.
The NCAA needs something similar. Nothing can be gained, and only players hurt, playing in a game like Illinois State v. St. Francis , ending in a 76-0 win for the Redbirds.

Week 0: No. 368 Valparaiso vs 669 Lawrence Tech

Valpofb16 — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:16:50 +0000

Here goes nothing! 6 days until Game Notes. Let’s win game one.

VU: 24

LT: 13

Xavier to add PFL football

AZValpo — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:27:19 +0000

If true this is excellent news

2027 Football Schedule

SP37 — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 22:09:48 +0000

Per fbschedules.com, Valpo will return to North Dakota on September 4, 2027, 2 years after a 58-7 loss against the Fighting Hawks in 2025.

This means that next year Valpo will play 2 MVFC opponents in non-conference play for the second consecutive year, taking on Illinois State the week after.

QB

AZValpo — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 02:18:23 +0000

Last year we had 4 FR QB's who redshirted. Downey played in one game the other 3 did not make an appearance. Then we added the Miami O transfer another R FR. One of the 4 just announced he was transferring to Indiana as a walk on. How about that change of scenery.

Compare World Cup teams to college football teams

Usc4valpo — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:23:57 +0000

So for fun, I saw an interesting Reddit thread associating World Cup soccer participants to college football opponents:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/s/JuN9ML3SEx

since I’m in the middle of a flight delay, I thought what soccer country should be associated with Valparaiso football. So I had a conversation with the smartest person in the world, ChatGPT, to find an answer:

“

Me:Compare Valparaiso to those Not in the world cup

ChatGPT: If we're talking about countries that did not qualify for the World Cup, I'd move away from Switzerland and choose a nation that is respectable, educated, historically relevant, but not currently among the global powers.

For Valparaiso University, my best fits would be:

1. Finland (my favorite comparison)

Strong academic reputation.
Small population/base.
Well respected by people who know it.
Doesn't attract the same attention as the giants.
Occasionally produces something remarkable that gets everyone's attention.
Not a traditional World Cup participant.

This reminds me of Valpo's reputation as a smaller private university with strong academics and occasional athletic moments like Bryce Drew's famous NCAA tournament shot.

2. Ireland

Strong identity and loyal following.
Punches above its weight.
Respected more than feared.
Has had notable successes but isn't considered elite.

If Notre Dame is England, then Valpo as Ireland makes some geographic and cultural sense as well.

3. Iceland

Small.
Overachiever.
Everyone roots for them when they have success.
Limited resources but strong culture.

4. Austria

Historically significant.
Stable and competent.
Not usually considered among the top tier.
Could surprise people in the right circumstances.

If I compare schools you know:

School	World Cup Country
University of Southern California	Brazil
University of Notre Dame	England
University of Iowa	Germany
Valparaiso University	Finland
Drake University	Iceland
University of Northern Iowa	Wales

For someone who attended Valpo, I suspect Finland would be the most flattering and accurate comparison: intelligent, well-run, respected, and successful by almost any objective measure, but not one of the giant powers that dominates headlines.

Me: You are too nice and need to be specific. So in college football, Valparaiso is at the bottom 3 to 5 percent in college football division 1. I think a weaker soccer country would resemble Valparaiso football.

ChatGPT: I think that's a fair correction.

When we're talking about Valparaiso football, not Valparaiso University as a whole, we shouldn't be comparing it to Switzerland or Denmark. Valpo football has often been near the bottom of the Pioneer League and, at times, near the bottom of the entire FCS subdivision. In 2025 they finished 2–10 and tied for last in the Pioneer League.

So if USC is Brazil and Ohio State is Germany, then Valparaiso football is more like:

San Marino — probably the closest analogy. Tiny player pool, almost never wins, and fans celebrate a draw or a goal against a stronger opponent.
Liechtenstein — occasionally produces a surprise result but generally overmatched.
Andorra — respectable effort, limited resources, rarely competitive against stronger nations.
Gibraltar — participates, has loyal supporters, but victories are rare.

In fact, if we were ranking college football programs by world soccer equivalents:

College Football Program	Soccer Country
USC	Brazil
Alabama	Germany
Notre Dame	England
Iowa State	Sweden
Drake	Finland
Valparaiso	San Marino

That may sound harsh, but the reality is that Valpo football competes in a non-scholarship FCS conference, and even within that conference has struggled for sustained success. There have been years when FCS fans on Reddit jokingly put Valpo at or near the bottom of all FCS programs.

So if someone asked me:

"What World Cup country best represents Valparaiso football?"

I'd probably answer:

San Marino.

Not because the school isn't respected academically, but because the football program's competitive position is much closer to San Marino than to Switzerland. That's the football equivalent of being happy to score a goal on Germany, not expecting to beat them.”

2026 Football Season

Valpofb16 — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 02:08:33 +0000

With kickoff under 100 days away it’s time to start looking towards the 2026 football season. Schedule appears to be finalized. Big news from offseason so far is Keefe is back and Noah Ehrlich is in.

Schedule

(H) Lawrence Tech

(A) Murray State

(A) Indiana State

(H) Butler

(A) Morehead State

(H) Drake

(A) San Diego

(H) Presbyterian

(A) Dayton

(A) Stetson

(H) St Thomas

Projected 50+ newcomers again. 0-11 is in play. 2-9 is more what id expect. 4-7 would be awesome. 6-5 is the absolute ceiling

2026 Valpo Football Alumni Golf Outing

Joe — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:37:26 +0000

Hello everyone,

We are bringing back the VUFB Alumni Golf Outing for the 2026 season! This year's outing is set for Friday, October 9th at Forest Park Golf Course, and it is open to alumni, parents, friends, and sponsors of the VU Football Program. Currently, foursomes are available with sponsorship packages, and basic foursome packages will become available in the coming weeks. Dinner and drinks will be provided with the foursome packages as well.

Additionally, we will be hosting raffles and a silent auction after golfing is complete. We are looking for donations for raffle/auction items. Contact information is included on the website if you are interested in donating.

The link for the website is included below. Please feel free to share with anyone that may be interested!

Valpo Football Golf Outing - 2026

New opponent

AZValpo — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 23:21:11 +0000

Chicago State officially announced football starting next year as a FCS Independent followed before heading to the NEC. They have a coach, no players or assistants that this point.

Answer to Football Stadium

AZValpo — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 16:30:10 +0000

Do we have room for a Bears Stadium. :d

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