New Haven Scheduling Update

NEC Blitz spoke with New Haven AD Devin Crosby yesterday about everything happening in New Haven’s transition to Division I. As you’d anticipate, the topic of scheduling came up as New Haven will be rebuilding their slate from scratch.

We can confirm that they are losing the NE10 schedule and Slippery Rock, their non-conference opener.

To replace them, New Haven will be adding Grand Valley State, Albany, Merrimack, and Stonehill. Conversations continue with an in-state opponent for a Thursday night game and with an Ivy League school, alongside continuing to speak with other schools on the west coast and in the south. It does appear New Haven should have no issues compiling a schedule despite the short time frame they’ll have to do it.

Mr. Crosby additionally shared that Michigan, UConn, and Penn State are all in the works to appear on their basketball schedule, so stay tuned for more information as New Haven transitions to Division I.

Update 3:42 pm: Stonehill will not appear on New Haven’s schedule. We anticipate this was an error.

New Haven Parts Ways With Head Coach Chris Pincince

After more than a decade at the helm, New Haven has officially moved on from head coach Chris Pincince, ending a tenure marked by consistent success, five playoff appearances, and two straight NE10 titles. The timing and reasoning behind the decision remain unclear at this time, but the move represents a significant turning point for what was one of the Northeast’s most stable Division II programs, now transitioning to Division I and the Northeast Conference.

Pincince took over in New Haven in 2014 and quickly returned the Chargers to prominence, posting six or more wins in every full season since. His teams were perennial playoff contenders, culminating in dominant NE10 runs from 2021 through 2024. Under his leadership, the Chargers notched three straight conference titles and maintained a reputation for some of the best football in the Northeast.

While postseason exits have recently been in the first round, New Haven was a fixture in the national picture—going 8–3 in each of the last three seasons and routinely finishing atop the NE10 standings. In 2021, they posted a perfect 8–0 conference record, 10-2 overall, only to fall in the second round of the NCAA playoffs. That year also marked their highest national finish under Pincince at #14.

The Chargers’ consistent success made them a recruiting destination in the region, and Pincince oversaw not just wins, but a culture of development that prepared players for the next level. They sent a player to the Cleveland Browns this offseason and routinely developed overlooked players or transfers into excellent players. While it’s true that scheduling uncertainties had caused players at New Haven to enter the transfer portal, there have been only positive messages regarding Pincince and his staff in transfer announcements.

There’s no word yet on a successor or on what Pincince plans to do next—but whoever takes over in New Haven inherits a program with lots of recent success, and transitioning to the next level. They’ll have the opportunity to put their own stamp on a program entering a new era.

We wish Coach the best of luck as he continues his career.

Update 7:37 PM: Per New Haven’s official release, they will initiate a coaching search at the conclusion of this season. The interim head coach will be defensive coordinator Mark Powell.

This is a developing story that will be updated as further details emerge.

“Scheduling Uncertainties”: Explaining New Haven’s Transfer Portal Buzzword

Change is here for New Haven—and it's happening fast.

As the Chargers prepare to join the NEC, their longtime home in the NE10 for football appears to be in the rearview. The initial release from the school and the NEC described a longer timeframe for the transition to football. That all makes sense- schedules were already completed and announced for both the league and New Haven, and getting games together would pose a serious challenge for the Chargers.

Despite that release, however, sources indicate that they’re expected to be removed from NE10 competition and schedules this fall in football. That includes their long-standing rivalry game against Southern Connecticut State, a series they’ve owned with 16 straight wins. After winning back-to-back conference titles, the program has long since overcome the challenge of winning games. Accordingly, New Haven is now facing a very different challenge: actually finding games to win.

There’s been a noticeable uptick in New Haven players entering the transfer portal, with many of those players citing scheduling uncertainty. With the confirmation that the Chargers aren’t expected to compete against their NE10 foes, that reasoning tracks. Without NE10 matchups and the possibility that D2 opponent Slippery Rock might be rethinking their games against the transitioning Chargers, New Haven’s 2025 slate might be wide open. If you’re a player, you want to compete. If you see a future for yourself in football, you want to get yourself on film, and you can’t do that without games. This is the rare moment where transferring has nothing to do with the school, program, or roster- those are all looking just fine for many of the players. It’s about having games, and in today’s college football landscape, sometimes there’s just not enough spots out there for student athletes to wait. That’s the grim reality.

I should note here that I do expect New Haven to find games to play, just as Mercyhurst did last year. At the same time, I completely understand feeling as though you can’t wait to see what’ll happen with new roster size limits in effect.

In any case, there’s no point in dwelling on what you can’t control. So for the Chargers, what now?

New Haven will likely need to turn toward FCS programs in need of additional games. LIU, Saint Francis, Duquesne, and former NEC member Merrimack all currently have 11-game schedules, leaving some potential openings. There may also be room with other programs—schools looking to round out a home-heavy calendar or plug a late dropout. Mercyhurst added schools like Buffalo State to their slate last season to fill out their schedule. But opportunities are limited this late in the cycle, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see New Haven play a heavy road slate, much like Mercyhurst did last season in their similar transition phase.

It’s an uncertain stretch, but not an insurmountable one. The path forward is clear: secure games, keep developing the roster, and prepare to make an impact in the NEC.

Despite the transfer portal entries, New Haven has an established record of success and a coaching staff that knows how to build a roster. Give the athletic department time to see what they can put together. Transition years are never easy- that’s why we give them their own label.

Get to Know the 2024 New Haven Chargers

With New Haven set to join the NEC, it’s worth reviewing how the Chargers fared in 2024 to gauge how they might stack up in 2025. Although they won’t begin official NEC football play this fall, we’ll be tracking them closely. If they’re not permitted to maintain an NE10 schedule, expect them to fill open dates by facing several NEC opponents.

In 2024, New Haven captured its second straight Northeast-10 championship—a result that surprised no one. The Chargers were picked to finish first in the preseason poll, and with their loaded backfield, they lived up to the billing.

Anyone questioning whether it’s time for New Haven to move up only needs to look at their dominance over crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State. The Chargers have now won 16 straight in that series, including a shutout win in 2024. Against the rest of the NE10, they posted a 7-1 record and finished 8-3 overall, with two of those losses coming at the hands of Slippery Rock—one in the regular season, the other in the Division II playoffs.

Christopher Ais led the ground attack, racking up 1,045 rushing yards over 11 games, including a standout 238-yard performance against Bentley in a shootout. He wasn’t the only Ais making noise for New Haven. Christian Ais, his twin, was a standout safety with 5 pass breakups on the year who has signed with Cleveland for their rookie minicamp. Both Christian and Christopher are moving on, but Christopher isn’t leaving the backfield cabinet empty.

Zaon Laney, the Chargers' “other” back, tallied 186 yards in that same Bentley game and finished the season with 757 yards and five touchdowns. Laney enters 2025 as one of the top returning running backs among NEC programs.

The lone conference loss came at Assumption, in a 19-14 game where the offense never quite found its rhythm. Still, the defense turned in a strong performance—highlighted by holding the opposing quarterback to just 81 passing yards.

New Haven’s season ended with a narrow 14-7 playoff loss at D2 power Slippery Rock, closing out another championship campaign for New Haven.

The line between top-tier Division II and FCS football is thinner than many realize. Depth and small margins separate the two levels. New Haven appears poised to compete right away. Their roster has traditionally drawn from in-state and regional talent, but with the NEC transition, they’ll have at least one season to adjust and upgrade—if needed—before entering full conference play.

New Haven to Join the NEC

There’s a logo at the bottom of this page that we’ve never used before, but we’re thrilled to be able to use it.

At NEC Blitz, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the University of New Haven to the Northeast Conference. This is a football program that’s proven it can win at the D2 level. Now, they’ll be transitioning to the big leagues, but the Chargers have certainly shown the potential to make waves up here.

New Haven arrives fresh off an 8-3 season and a Northeast-10 championship. This isn’t anything too new for the Chargers. They’ve won six conference titles since 2009 and have been competitive in the D2 playoffs, including a near upset over powerhouse Slippery Rock last season. They’re also well-equipped from a branding perspective. We’re very familiar and excited to cover the distinctive blue field at DellaCamera Stadium. It’s where some of the best football in the Northeast has been played- and now, will continue to be played. We fully expect New Haven to continue its tradition of success and challenge for titles.

There’s also plenty of intrigue on the horizon. An in-state rivalry with Central Connecticut State is all but inevitable, and it’s one we’re already circling on the calendar. Connecticut fans have every reason to get hyped—this matchup has the potential to become a staple of the regional college football scene. With high school football on the rise in Connecticut, this is one that local fans are going to pay attention to, and bragging rights will carry lots of cache on the recruiting trail.

Frankly, this move is a win for everyone involved. The NEC gains a member that aligns with its academic and athletic priorities, and the Chargers join a conference that knows how to elevate rising programs. We think they’ll be able to be competitive quickly in their new home.

From our vantage point, New Haven is ready for this moment. We can’t wait to see what they do with it.