By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Elon’s football team is picked to finish eighth in the Coastal Athletic Association preseason coaches’ poll, which was unveiled Wednesday.
The Phoenix received 98 points in the poll, putting it slightly behind Towson (108, sixth) and William & Mary (seventh, 104), but well ahead of Maine (ninth, 71). Elon had a 6-6 record last year, including 5-3 in CAA play to tie for sixth place.
Rhode Island, coming off a program-best 11-3 record, was voted as the preseason favorite followed by Monmouth and Villanova. Also among the 14 teams, in-state schools Campbell (10th) and North Carolina A&T (14th) were in the bottom tier of the poll.
Elon’s only player on the All-CAA preseason team is punter Jeff Yurk. Fullback / tight end Dylan Magazu and defensive lineman Kahmari Brown received honorable mention.
For the second year in a row, Elon opens the season at Duke. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. August 28.
The only home game for the Phoenix across the first four weeks comes September 6 vs. Davidson at Rhodes Stadium.
CAA to add Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart will join the CAA in football beginning in 2026, adding another element to the evolving membership for the conference.
That announcement came earlier this week, putting the CAA’s football membership at 13 teams for next year.
CAA commissioner Joey D’Antonio, speaking Wednesday as part of the league’s virtual football media days, said addition of Sacred Heart is “a step to stabilize and solidify (the CAA’s) future.”
Sacred Heart, located in Fairfield, Connecticut, is a private school with enrollment of more than 11,000. The school was formerly in the Northeast Conference, but currently is a football independent. It most recently competed in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in 2021.
By 2026, CAA football will have several recent departures either to the Football Bowl Subdivision (James Madison, Delaware) or to the Patriot League (Richmond, Villanova, William & Mary). Villanova and William & Mary are in their final CAA seasons in 2025.
D’Antonio said he doesn’t sense a push to establish divisions within CAA football right away, especially with 13 teams. He said a scheduling model, with an emphasis on reducing air travel, will be shared publicly at a later date.
CAA football operates as a separate entity from the rest of the conference, though under the same name (with different membership). Elon is part of both CAA football and the CAA as a whole.
Defensive coach added
Elon hired Chris West as defensive line coach this summer.
This will be West’s third job on the Football Championship Subdivision level in recent years. He spent time in the 2024 at North Carolina A&T after the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Columbia.
West played football at Valdosta State, where he graduated in 2016. He had roles on football staffs at Delta State, Huntingdon College and Valdosta State.
