Presbyterian10-2Presbyterian spent nearly two decades quietly rebuilding after its century-old rivalry went dormant, then broke through in 2025 with its best season in a generation.
Presbyterian fans know their program wins without the benefit of athletic scholarships, in the Pioneer Football League, largely outside the sport's national attention -- the 2025 season was real, earn…
Approaching
21 days
until kickoff · vs UVA Wise · Thu Aug 27 · 23:00 UTC
Presbyterian went 10-2 in 2025 -- its first double-digit-win season since 2005 and its first undefeated home record since 1998 -- nearly two decades after the Bronze Derby, the century-old rivalry that once defined the program, went dormant.
The team's roster features significant turnover, particularly in critical positions, which may impact performance. With only one incoming transfer compared to four outgoing, depth concerns persist.
Scotty the Scotsman waits quietly.
Presbyterian · Next-Season Outcome Band
Final-season-aware projection: floor / base / ceiling include conference title and CFP games where the model supports them, so a ceiling can exceed a 12-game regular season.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Three of five. Trending up, not yet hot.
Opens Aug 27
vs UVA Wise · at home
No high-engagement r/cfb discussions tracked for this program in the last year.
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
~ our readNot enough Presbyterian chatter this week to read the room.
We read 1 Presbyterian posts this week — not enough to call the room. Check back during the season.
Fanbase Health Index · Presbyterian · low confidence
No player stats logged for this program yet — stats appear once the season is underway.
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 30 | #195 | #132 | +22.5 | @Mercer | W 15–10 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Sep 6 | #187 | #221 | +8.5 | @Furman | W 39–38 | 2-0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #195 | #414 | — | ERSKINE | W 42–14 | 3-0 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #204 | — | — | BLUEFIELD | W 76–3 | 4-0 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Sep 27 | #153 | #238 | -23.5 | Morehead State | W 41–0 | 5-0 | 1-0 |
| 7 | Oct 11 | #127 | #200 | -10.5 | @Butler | W 31–25 | 6-0 | 2-0 |
| 8 | Oct 18 | #123 | #258 | -34.5 | Stetson | W 42–7 | 7-0 | 3-0 |
| 9 | Oct 25 | #113 | #167 | -8.5 | @Dayton | L 19–35 | 7-1 | 3-1 |
| 10 | Nov 1 | #134 | #267 | -31.5 | Valparaiso | W 43–14 | 8-1 | 4-1 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #132 | #260 | -22.5 | @Davidson | L 13–14 | 8-2 | 4-2 |
| 12 | Nov 15 | #147 | #116 | +5.5 | @St. Thomas (MN) | W 23–9 | 9-2 | 5-2 |
| 13 | Nov 22 | #124 | #210 | -17.5 | Marist | W 29–25 | 10-2 | 6-2 |
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22 | Marist | W 29–25 | — | — | — | +0.114 | 44.3% | 112.4% | One-score win |
| Nov 15 | @St. Thomas (MN) | W 23–9 | — | — | — | +0.004 | 38.2% | 123.6% | |
| Nov 8 | @Davidson | L 13–14 | — | — | — | -0.095 | 46.2% | 67.4% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Nov 1 | Valparaiso | W 43–14 | — | — | — | +0.302 | 62.0% | 94.2% | Blowout win |
| Oct 25 | @Dayton | L 19–35 | — | — | — | +0.089 | 41.9% | 110.7% | Defense's roughest night |
| Oct 18 | Stetson | W 42–7 | — | — | — | +0.483 | 53.2% | 126.4% | Blowout win |
| Oct 11 | @Butler | W 31–25 | — | — | — | +0.507 | 54.5% | 143.1% | One-score win |
| Sep 27 | Morehead State | W 41–0 | — | — | — | +0.536 | 62.7% | 117.7% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Sep 20 | BLUEFIELD | W 76–3 | — | — | — | +0.517 | 52.5% | 156.0% | Blowout win |
| Sep 13 | ERSKINE | W 42–14 | — | — | — | +0.292 | 57.9% | 127.0% | Blowout win |
| Sep 6 | @Furman | W 39–38 | — | — | — | +0.191 | 44.8% | 116.9% | One-score win |
| Aug 30 | @Mercer | W 15–10 | — | — | — | +0.137 | 35.7% | 156.8% | Most explosive |
| Season average (12 games) | — | — | +0.256 | 49.5% | 121.0% | ||||
Schedule mirage
Raw EPA/play through week 21 is 0.26; 78th percentile once opponent strength is stripped out, it's 0.06. The widest gap came in week 8: 0.38 raw vs. 0.14 adjusted.
Most Similar Programs · Presbyterian
Static-attribute similarity across tier, archetype, conference, and voice. Not a prediction — a calibration.
Home-Field Advantage · Presbyterian · 2018-present
43% home win rate vs 23% on the road. margin runs +18.3 better at home. Bailey Memorial Stadium seats 6,500, averaging 47% full (3,073 attendance, 12 games reported).
73°F average kickoff temp; 11% of games had measurable precipitation; 5 mph average wind.
Based on 28 home games with weather data.
Program Prestige · Presbyterian
11 seasons inside the CFP era, no bids yet — the era the program is still trying to break into.
Presbyterian's 2014–2025 record is 40-82. The era is still being written; the CFP line is the one the program is arguing for.
All-Time Record
since 1914 · 90 seasons · .331 win rate
An unusual name with an honest origin story—the 'Blue Hose' started in 1915 when coach Walter Johnson switched uniform colors to blue and required blue socks, which sportswriters called 'Blue Stockings,' later shortened to 'hose.'
Presbyterian College, located in Clinton, South Carolina, competes in the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League as a 113-year-old FCS program. The 2025 season marked a breakthrough: the Blue Hose finished 10-2, their first 10-win season since 2005 and only the third in program history. They went undefeated at home (Bailey Memorial Stadium) for the first time since 1998 and climbed as high as No. 16 in the AFCA Coaches Poll—the program's highest national ranking since joining Division I.
The team amassed an 11-game winning streak and produced a school record 11 All-Conference selections, plus five All-Academic picks and a Freshman All-American. Quarterback Collin Hurst earned All-Pioneer Football League First Team honors, and rookie punt returner Darriel Harper was named a Freshman All-American by Sports Illustrated's FCS Football Central.
Presbyterian spent 12 seasons (2008–2019) in the Big South Conference before transitioning to the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League in 2020. There is no singular defining rivalry or dramatic arc—just a small program that won decisively at home and proved competitive in 2025.
Presbyterian plays non-scholarship football and has learned to win at Crocker Field, where they posted zero home losses in 2025. Their 10-win campaign was built on home-field dominance and consistency.
Presbyterian 2015–2025. Climbing +0.8 rungs across the last 10 seasons. Slope +0.19 rungs / year — moving up the prestige scale.
11 seasons on file
down middle peak CFP year
Season Standing · 2025
Season standing settles in once games are played and rankings publish.
Pioneer Standing · 2025
Presbyterian is 2nd in the Pioneer at 6-2. 1 team above — that's the direct path to the title game.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drake | 7-1 |
| 2 | Presbyterian | 6-2 |
| 3 | San Diego | 6-2 |
| 4 | Dayton | 5-3 |
| 5 | St. Thomas (MN) | 5-3 |
| 6 | Butler | 4-4 |
| 7 | Morehead State | 4-4 |
| 8 | Marist | 3-5 |
| 9 | Stetson | 2-6 |
| 10 | Davidson | 1-7 |
| 11 | Valparaiso | 1-7 |
| 12 | Jacksonville | 0-0 |
Three gameday rituals — the ones outsiders never quite catch.
since 1915
The 'Blue Hose' name traces to 1915, when head coach Walter Johnson switched the team's uniform colors to blue and required players to wear blue socks. Sportswriters called the team the 'Blue Stockings,' later shortened to 'Blue Hose' in newspaper headlines. The nickname was formalized in 1954.
since 2025
Presbyterian went 10-2 in 2025, only the third double-digit-win season in program history, with an 11-game winning streak and an undefeated home record at Bailey Memorial Stadium for the first time since 1998 -- reaching #16 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, its highest ranking since joining Division I.
Program memory
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
2006
The 93-season, 95-game Bronze Derby rivalry with Newberry College ends when Presbyterian moves out of Division II
Wound
Presbyterian goes 10-2 with an 11-game winning streak, its first undefeated home record since 1998, and reaches #16 in the AFCA Coaches Poll
Moment of the Year · Presbyterian · 2025
Week 3 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.
Presbyterian · Next-Season Outcome Band
Fanbase Health Index · Presbyterian · low confidence
Most Similar Programs · Presbyterian
Program Prestige · Presbyterian
Season Standing · 2025
Moment of the Year · Presbyterian · 2025