From JUCO to NCAA: Building Monroe University's 2026 Independent Football Schedule

Making the jump from the Junior College ranks to NCAA membership is quite the undertaking. Somehow in 2026, two schools will attempt to make the jump. The move is seamless for one of the schools, Lackawanna College, which will play with fellow Keystone State schools in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The move is much more difficult for the other school making the move, Monroe University in New Rochelle, NY. While Monroe’s Olympic sports will reside in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), their football program is independent this year.

So how does a school build an independent schedule after years of playing at the Junior College level? Believe it or not, the answer is simpler than it appears.

Head coach Kevin Pulley credited experience building schedules as a Junior College independent, as well as the internet, for Monroe’s 2026 schedule.

“It comes from a history of having to do it when we’re at the junior college level to know that you have to jump on it early and knowing more often than not, that you’re going to have to travel because the teams on the schedule typically don’t need you as much as you need them,” Pulley reflected.

Monroe’s 2026 independent schedule is one of the more impressive feats by an athletic department at any level. The slate displays excellent adaptability and initiative by the Monroe administration.

Coach Pulley explained the partnership with the Northeast-10 was one of the first parts of the schedule that the school established. Monroe will play three Northeast-10 schools, American International, Pace, and Southern Connecticut State. The Mustangs are hoping it can parlay the three-game partnership into a future football-only membership with the conference. A home date with fellow Junior College promotee Lackawanna takes place between the American International and Pace games, a natural fit for both schools.

After this, Coach Pulley and Monroe reached out to schools in the PSAC, Conference Carolinas, and Mountain East Conference. This led West Virginia State to reach out to host Monroe. After this, Coach Pulley took to the internet through FootballScoop.com and the Gridiron chat boards to add the two other intersectional matchups to the schedule.

UNC-Pembroke saw the story on Monroe’s search for games on FootballScoop.com and added the Mustangs. Conference realignment aided Monroe’s last intersectional game. West Florida’s departure from the Gulf South created a scramble for the conference’s three remaining football members. West Alabama saw the FootballScoop.com story and Monroe’s posting on the Gridiron website and added the Mustangs. Prior connections between Pulley and the West Alabama staff from a past interview further facilitated this game.

Despite the intersectional nature of these games, Coach Pulley expects to get return trips from West Alabama, UNC-Pembroke, and West Virginia State. Unfortunately, he is unsure of the dates of these return trips due to Monroe’s current pursuit of a football membership.

Finally, the Mustangs have a rare in-season home-and-home with Division III Keystone College. Keystone is also independent and in nearby LaPlume, PA. Like the Lackawanna game, it is a natural fit for them and Monroe.

A lack of home games may be one of the first things one may notice about Monroe’s schedule. The Mustangs have just two home games and will play one other game in New York. The program will travel over 2600 miles this season, a staggering total for a Division II school. However, Coach Pulley and the Monroe program are used to barnstorming.

He remarked, “We were a junior college in the Northeast. There aren’t a ton of community colleges up here, so we had gotten used to only having about three home games for the season anyway. We’re pretty much used to having a mindset that we are going to be on the road for a bulk of our season.”

Despite playing on the road for much of their season. Pulley explained the excitement of a move to the NCAA has helped with the program’s recruiting and player retention.

Aside from fellow independent Northeastern State, Monroe may have the most unique schedule in Division II. However, putting the schedule together was not easy. Overall, Coach Pulley thanks a supportive administration and a desire to play anybody, anywhere for the quick construction of Monroe’s inaugural NCAA schedule.