The Hawks of tiny Hilbert College in Hamburg, New York — a brand-new program that kicked off in 2022 and is still chasing its first win, building football from absolute zero in the Empire 8.
The Hawks are patient.
The Hawks of tiny Hilbert College in Hamburg, New York — a brand-new program that kicked off in 2022 and is still chasing its first win, building football from absolute zero in the Empire 8.
Win the first game in program history — and turn a true startup into a competitive small-college team that belongs.
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
Hilbert College sits 8th in the Empire 8 Conference and 235th of 240 in the CFB Zeitgeist — outside the at-large picture — the path runs through the conference title.
| Team | Conf | Overall | Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cortland | 6-0 | 8-3 | 61.5 |
| 2 | Utica | 5-1 | 8-3 | 60.8 |
| 3 | St John Fisher University | 4-2 | 7-4 | 54.0 |
| 4 | Brockport | 3-3 | 7-4 | 54.1 |
| 5 | Alfred University | 2-4 | 4-6 | 46.2 |
| 6 | Hartwick | 2-5 | 4-6 | 42.3 |
| 7 | SUNY Morrisville | 0-6 | 0-10 | 31.1 |
| 8 | Hilbert College | 0-1 | 0-10 | 29.5 |
Win the Empire 8 Conference for the automatic berth into the 40-team NCAA Division III bracket. Miss it and the path is an at-large bid, selected by NPI — the metric the CFB Index mirrors. Six wins survive the bracket to the Stagg Bowl.
Signature win 8-15 over Buffalo State; toughest day 3-65 against Ithaca College.
The Pulse on Hilbert College
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · Hilbert College
The baseline for a successful season.
The primary goal and national bracket path.
One of 32 national tournament entries.
The Division III national championship game.
Hilbert College · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Who We Are
Home-Field Advantage · Hilbert College · 2018-present
Average
0% home win rate vs 0% on the road. margin runs -6.0 weaker at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Hibernating
Zero of five. Reset territory.
Schedule Strength · Hilbert College · 2025
Balanced
Average opponent win rate 49% across 10 finalized games. Balanced slate across the conference slate.
From the Archive — Hilbert College
2022: Lost 20-31 vs Willamette
In 2022, the program lost 20-31 vs Willamette — a one to file away home result, 11 points either way.
Go Hawks.