BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Patriot League unveiled its football-specific brand identity and slogan, "The Power of 10," marking the beginning of A New Era of Patriot League Football as the League enters the 2026 season with 10 football-playing institutions for the first time in its 41-year history. 
 
The campaign celebrates Patriot League football's recent expansion with the additions of associate members Richmond for the 2025 season and Villanova and William & Mary for the upcoming 2026 season. 
 
"The Power of 10" campaign reflects both the strength coming with expansion and the collective success that has long defined Patriot League football. Beginning with the 2026 season, Patriot League Football will feature Bucknell, Colgate, Fordham, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Richmond, Villanova and William & Mary, creating one of the nation's premier FCS conferences. 
 
The expanded membership brings together programs with rich football traditions and a history of postseason success. Collectively, the Patriot League's 10 football members have won two FCS national championships, advanced to 12 FCS national semifinals and reached the quarterfinal round 22 times, earning 42 FCS postseason wins. With an increased national profile, the 10 football members share the Patriot League's defining commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes who excel on the field, in the classroom and in the community.
 
"The addition of Richmond, Villanova and William & Mary marks a transformational period for Patriot League Football," said Patriot League Commissioner Jennifer Heppel. "Our new identity celebrates the excitement surrounding this historic expansion while honoring the values that have always defined the League. 'The Power of 10' represents more than any one member — it reflects the competitive excellence, academic achievement and championship aspirations that unite every Patriot League football program."
 
The Patriot League worked with Skye Dillon of the renowned Skye Designs in New York City to develop the League's vision. The refreshed football-specific mark features the banner "A New Era of Patriot League Football" above the League's logo, designed within a football-specific shield. The 10 yards on each side of the logo represent the Patriot League's 10 football institutions. The shield, paired with the slogan "The Power of 10," symbolizes the League's growth while maintaining the traditional Patriot League identity that has become synonymous with excellence at the FCS level. 
 
The campaign will drive the League's football content beginning with the 2026 season and will be featured across the League's ESPN+ broadcasts, the official website –PatriotLeague.org,  social media platforms and League and institutional marketing initiatives. The League's new brand identity will be on display during the 2026 Patriot League Football Season Preview Show, hosted by Paige Messier, on Wednesday, July 29, on ESPN+, before the League officially kicks off its historic season on Thursday, Aug. 27, when Georgetown hosts Lafayette (7 p.m. ET). 
 
For more information on Patriot League Football, visit PatriotLeague.org and follow @PatriotLeague on Instagram and X. 
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL RIVALRY WEEK
A highlight in the new era of Patriot League football will be "Rivalry Week," marking the conclusion of the regular season. The Patriot League will feature two of the most-played rivalry games in college football history, including The Rivalry between Lafayette and Lehigh (162nd meeting in 2026) and The Capital Cup between Richmond and William & Mary (137th meeting in 2026). The final week of the regular season also features the Ram-Crusader Cup game, instituted in 1951 between Fordham and Holy Cross, a series that originated in 1902. Patriot League charter members Bucknell and Colgate will face off in a series dating back to 1894, and longtime basketball rivals Georgetown and Villanova will also meet annually in the final week of the regular season.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL HISTORY
The Patriot League will enter its 41st season this fall at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The League formed in 1986 with charter members Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette and Lehigh. Fordham has maintained its football member status since 1990, and Georgetown joined as a Patriot League football associate member beginning in 2001. Since 2025, the League has added three storied programs with a history of FCS success: Richmond (2025), Villanova (2026) and William & Mary (2026), establishing itself as a powerful 10-team League committed to excellence on the field and in the classroom.
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE 
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.