• Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, CA), NCAA Division III / Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (2026)
• Bismarck State University (Bismarck, ND), NAIA / Frontier Conference (2027)
• Chicago State University (Chicago, IL), NCAA Division I-Football Championship Subdivision / Northeast Conference (2026)
• Mount Mercy University (Cedar Rapids, IA), NAIA / Heart of America Athletic Conference (2026)
• Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN), NAIA / Mid-States Football Association (2026)
• Schreiner University (Kerrville, TX), NCAA Division III / Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (2026)
• Shawnee State University (Portsmouth, OH), NCAA Division II / Mountain East Conference ("no later than 2028")
• Texas A&M University-Texarkana (Texarkana, TX), NCAA Division II / Lone Star Conference (possibly 2027)
• West Virginia University Tech (Beckley, WV), NAIA(?) (first year undetermined)
• Whittier College (Whittier, CA), NCAA Division III Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (2026)

There certainly may be others as well which I have not heard about, so please let me know if you have any additions! (including colleges in Canada and junior or community colleges).

New teams for the 2026 season

AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY

Azusa Pacific had an intercollegiate football team from 1965 through 2019; the team was dropped in December 2020, having not played a 2020 football season due to the global pandemic. The team will be reinstated in 2026 as an NCAA Division III team and a member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The team will be called the 'Cougars' (as was the team name previously) and the school colors are listed as 'brick and black'.

CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY

CSU's team will be known as the "Cougars" and the school colors are listed as green, blue, and light green. CSU will play as an independent team at the NCAA Division I-Football Championship Subdivision level in 2026, before joining the Northeast Conference the following year.

MOUNT MERCY UNIVERSITY

This team will be named the "Mustangs" and the school colors are navy blue and gold. Photographs at the team's website show the team practicing in navy blue helmets during the summer of 2025.

SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS COLLEGE

SMWC's team will be known as the "Pomeroys" and the school colors are listed as 'pomeroy blue' and white. The college has had a sprint football team since 2022; in 2024 this team wore light blue helmets with the team name on both sides.

SCHREINER UNIVERSITY

Schreiner's team will be known as the "Mountaineers" and the school colors are maroon and white. An exhibition schedule is being played in 2025; during a September game against Westgate Christian University, Schreiner wore white helmets with an unidentified logo or other feature on the sides.

WHITTIER COLLEGE

Whittier's team will be named the "Poets" and the school colors are purple and gold. This will be a restoration of the team which last played in 2022.

Other colleges which may start football teams

Below are listed some other colleges which may be adding football as a varsity sport in the near future, or which at least appear to be considering doing so, and some others which have recently rejected the idea. For each of these, it is my impression that the addition of football is not yet a certainty. (There are probably many others besides those listed here; reports about additional schools, both in the United States and Canada, would be appreciated.) I usually purge entries from this list after a decade or so if nothing happens.

• University of Arkansas-Little Rock - As of April 2017 UALR is performing a "feasibility study" regarding the addition of an intercollegiate football team. If formed, a UALR team would likely play its home games at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, where the University of Arkansas currently plays one home game per year. (source: http://arkansas.247sports.com/Bolt/Could-new-college-football-program-come-to-Arkansas-52242934 )
• Bellarmine University (Louisville, KY) - this school considered in March 2016 the addition of a football team, which would play at the NCAA Division II level if it comes to fruition (source: https://insiderlouisville.com/government/bellarmine-investing/ )
• Bethany Lutheran College (Mankato, MN) - Football has been considered for this Minnesota college; the following appeared in an article dated 2017 August 21 at the college's website: "The Bethany Lutheran College Board of Regents thanks the Football Feasibility Study Task Force, Athletic Director Don Westphal, and the college administration for their outstanding work in studying and putting together a comprehensive report on the feasibility of starting the sport of football on the Bethany campus. There were several positive findings from the study that encourage the Regents to continue the investigation of adding football. Some questions remain unknown, however, such as whether Bethany can secure the facilities to operate a program. Therefore, for the time being we're going to continue to study and research football, as well as explore other potential program options, both athletic and non-athletic. The Regents will continue to study the topic in follow-up reports at its future quarterly meetings this academic year." (source: http://blcvikings.com/news/2017/8/21/general-update-on-football-study-at-bethany.aspx )
• University of California at Santa Barbara - UCSB's student government passed a resolution in February 2025 "calling for specifically, the next president and the next team of executives to contact former UCSB Board of Trustees members and alumni to examine past proposals to bring football back to UCSB, understand why they failed and meet with our new and incoming administration to see if this is something … that could start off right now,” [UCSB student and Off-Campus Senator Dan] Siddiqui said. UCSB most recently had a football team from 1985 through 1991. (Source: https://dailynexus.com/2025-02-22/senate-plants-seeds-to-bring-football-back-to-ucsb/ ).
• Coker University (Hartsville, SC) - In July 2019 this university completed a "football feasibility study" but has not yet announced a decision as to whether an intercollegiate football team will be formed. A Coker football team would play at the NCAA Division II, presumably in the South Atlantic Conference, of which the school is a member for other sports.
• University of New Orleans (New Orleans, LA) - UNO students voted overwhelmingly against a proposal to raise student fees to fund an intercollegiate football team in November 2022, making a return of football to the UNO campus appear unlikely in the foreseeable future. The vote margin was 69% against/31% for (source: https://www.fox8live.com/2022/11/09/uno-football-big-overwhelmingly-shot-down-by-students-vote/ )
• St. Leo University (St. Leo, FL) - In January 2019 this Tampa-area school held a series of "focus group" meetings to consider the instatement of an intercollegiate football team; apparently no decision has yet been made. The school had a team previously which was apparently a club-level team; it last played in 1980 or 1981. A new St. Leo team would presumably play at the NCAA Division II level.
• Talladega College (Talladega, AL) - "The Talladega College Board of Trustees authorized Talladega College President Dr. Billy C. Hawkins to employ a consultant to determine the feasibility of reviving the institution’s football program. Trustees voted in favor of conducting a feasibility study during the institution’s spring board meeting on April 30, 2021. Talladega seized the Black College Football National Championship in both 1920 and 1921. While the institution’s illustrious football program was canceled 80 years ago, during World War II, the upcoming study may help usher in a new era of football for Alabama’s first private historically black college. 'The year 2021 marks the one hundred year anniversary of our historic back-to-back championship win,' said Talladega College President Dr. Billy C. Hawkins. 'Given the success of our academic and athletic programs; the recent growth and transformation of the college; and the myriad benefits of having a football program, now may be the time to revive our team. This could be great for the college, the community, and central Alabama. However, our decision will be based upon the findings of a formal feasibility study.' (source: http://www.talladega.edu/news/talladega-college-explores-feasibility-of-reviving-football-program/ (articled dated 2021 May 13))
• University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, TX) - In April 2023 the student body at UT Arlington voted to partially fund an intercollegiate football team, moving this school a step closer to restoring the team that last played in 1985. Other hurdles remain and the earliest a UTA team could play would be the year 2025. (source: https://www.theshorthorn.com/news/students-alumni-react-as-football-referendum-passes-in-student-government-election/article_1a300f78-d361-11ed-bee5-d3b0c3a1d668.html )
• Utah Valley University (Orem, UT) - The student body at this college appears to have a strong interest in adding an intercollegiate football team, but the administration has concerns pertaining to the cost and to the likely degree of community support for such a team. "'The big problem is just the limited resources we have and the fact that we're needing to finance our current athletic programs. We've got to take care of those first,' (UVU President William A.) Sederburg said. 'Then we need to figure out how to get the attendance up and make sure that we can do it right.' UVU is still trying to establish its athletic teams at the NCAA Division I level, the president said, and he doesn't want to disrupt that by trying to work football into the mix. 'My sense is we're not ready to go there,' Sederburg said. 'The students are pushing it, and we have an obligation to pay attention to what the students are saying. I think in time UVU will have a football team, but probably not in the near future.'" If established, the UVU team would compete at the NCAA Division I-AA level. (Source: http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635168661,00.html)
• Wilberforce University (Wilberforce, OH) - on September 17, 2025 this school announced that it had initiated a feasibility study to explore the possible reinstatement of football as an intercollegiate sport, possibly as soon as 2027. Wilberforce, which is the nation's third-oldest Historically Black college, last fielded a football team in the late 1940s. The school participates as a member of the NAIA for other sports.
• Winthrop (Rock Hill, SC) - The administration of this university considered instituting an intercollegiate football team for several years but opted to not do so in June 2016 (source: http://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/education/winthrop-news/article83090747.html ).
• University of Wisconsin-Green Bay: The institution of an intercollegiate football team at this university has been discussed in 2018 by the school's administration (source: https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/sports/2018/10/23/uwgb-ad-charles-guthries-first-year-football-part-future/1739232002/ )
• Wright State University (Dayton, OH) - this school was apparently considering the addition of an intercollegiate football team in December 2021 (source: https://wsuguardian.com/football-at-wright-state-board-of-trustees-hears-possible-changes-to-athletics/ )
• Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH) - this university confirmed to local tv station WKRC that there are "talks of bringing back football" at the university (source: https://local12.com/news/local/xavier-university-considering-bringing-back-football-program-musketeers-season-1973-xu-athletics-vic-nolting-corcoran-field-division-1-scholarship-program-athletes-cincinnati-ohio ). Xavier had a football team previously (most recently in 1973); a new team would likely play in NCAA Division I-Football Championship Subdivision with the Pioneer Football League mentioned as a possible destination.