Saturday, September 12
Hampton, Va.
6:02 PM
Hampton University
vs
Bryant
Hampton Opens CAA Football Action Hosting Bryant Saturday Night
9.11.26 | Football
| WHO | Hampton (1-1, 0-0 CAA) vs. Bryant (1-1, 0-0 CAA) |
| WHEN | 6:02 pm - Saturday |
| WHERE | Darling Stadium - Hampton, Va. |
| SERIES RECORD | First meeting |
| TV/STREAM | TV - Monumental Sports Network -- STREAM - FloCollege |
| LIVE STATS | here |
| GAME NOTES | Media Center |
HAMPTON, Va. (Sept. 11, 2026) … The Hampton University football team opens Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play when the Pirates host Bryant on Saturday night at 6:02 p.m. at Darling Stadium in Hampton, 2.1 miles from the Hampton campus.
Game Tidbits
- Hampton opened the 2026 campaign with a 45-0 victory over Virginia University-Lynchburg before falling at Maryland, 62-0.
- Hampton joined the CAA in 2022 and have a 1-3 record in league openers, having dropped the last two. The Pirates come into the game with a 12-game losing streak in league play.
- The game will mark the first meeting between the two CAA teams. Hampton joined in 2022 and Bryant was added in 2025.
- Bryant University was founded in 1863 as Bryant and Stratton College. The campus relocated to Smithfield, R.I. in 1971 after Tupperware inventor and alumnus Earl Tupper donated land for the college. It is a private, non-profit university as is Hampton.
- Bryant hosted the New England Patriots training camp from 1976-02 including the year they won their first Super Bowl (2002).
- The game matches the two CAA institutions with the smallest enrollments (Hampton 4,686 and Bryant 3,751).
- The game will be played at Darling Stadium while Hampton's on-campus venue, Armstrong Stadium, is undergoing a transformation with the installation of new turf and a new track. The new field will make it possible for Hampton to play its women's soccer matches on campus for the first time as well as lacrosse.
- Bryant (1-1) opens the CAA portion of the 2026 schedule at Hampton. Bryant opened the campaign with a 24-6 victory over Stonehill before falling 59-3 at Army.
- Chris Merritt is in his eighth season at Bryant. His teams have fashioned a 29-46 record including a 3-9 (1-7 CAA) in 2025.
- In recent years, Bryant has transitioned from the Northeast Conference, to the Big South/Ohio Valley and now the Coastal Athletic Association.
- Jordan Bennett rushed for 102 yards in the opener at Stonehill while Brennan Myer completed 10-of-20 passes for 108 yards. Nelson Sparrow led the defense with seven tackles.
- Army rushed for 569 yards and 648 total yards in a 59-3 win over Bryant on Sept. 5. Bryant accounted for 98 yards through the air and 67 yards on the ground.
- Hampton snapped a six-game losing streak with a 45-0 shutout of Virginia University-Lynchburg in the season opener before falling to Maryland 62-0 last week.
- The loss at Maryland marked the first Power Four opponent in the history of Hampton's football program.
- Hampton has lost its last 12 games in Coastal Athletic Association play.
- First-year Pirates coach Van Malone led shook up the starting lineup with nine new starters on offense and seven on defense from a year ago when Hampton finished 2-10 (0-8 CAA).
- New defensive coordinator Clay Jennings installed a 4-2-5 defensive scheme this season. The unit shutout Virginia University-Lynchburg in the season opener. Quarterback Jalen Woods leads the balanced offense.
Hampton heads down Interstate 64 for the Battle of the Bay at Norfolk State on September 19 at 4 p.m.
Players Mentioned
QB
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