CFB Zeitgeist
June 22, 2026 · Dead Period · Heritage Window · 2026 Outlook

University of the South

3-7 2025 final

Sewanee is the Gothic mountaintop university that was once an SEC founding member, chose academics over football, and now plays D3 because the Oxford of the South values the mind before the game.

The Tigers wait in the brush.

Record
3-7
win% .300
Conference
7th of 9
Southern Athletic · 1-5
Index Rating
44.4
D3 #164 of 240
Playoff Path
Win the league
Dead PeriodOffseasonPatientPost-loss — diagnostic
The Long Wait·Offseason

Sewanee is the Gothic mountaintop university that was once an SEC founding member, chose academics over football, and now plays D3 because the Oxford of the South values the mind before the game.

Standard GapA unique institution that walked away from big-time football on purpose…

Sewanee went 2-8 in 2025 under coach Mike Reese. The Tigers are a fixture in the Southern Athletic Association, playing D3 football because that fits the university's mission. The 2026 season is just another chapter in an institut…

low signal
Read the full program story ↓

Offseason

69 days

until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC

Act I

The 2026 Outlook

DIVISION III · THE PATH TO THE STAGG BOWL

University of the South sits 7th in the Southern Athletic Conference and 164th of 240 in the CFB Zeitgeist — outside the at-large picture — the path runs through the conference title.

Southern Athletic · 2025
TeamConfOverallIndex
1Berry College7-011-271.0
2Trinity University TX5-210-267.5
3Centre College Kentucky4-25-555.0
4Millsaps4-36-455.2
5Hendrix College1-16-450.2
6Southwestern University2-44-647.7
7Sewanee1-53-744.4
8Rhodes College0-71-936.2
44.4 CFB Zeitgeist#164 of 240 D352.2 strength of schedule

Win the Southern Athletic 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.

Source: CFB Zeitgeist — conference records + NPI-style rating from 2025 games · the field is 40 teams, NPI-selected
THE 2025 SEASON · 3-7
W 41-6 at Bethany (WV) · Wk 2+35Bethany L 10-26 vs Brevard College · Wk 3-16Brevard W 33-0 at North Carolina Wesleyan · Wk 4+33North CaL 7-40 vs Maryville College (TN) · Wk 6-33MaryvillL 31-39 at Southwestern University · Wk 7-8SouthwesL 7-44 vs Berry College · Wk 8-37Berry CoW 28-6 at Rhodes College · Wk 9+22Rhodes CL 3-32 vs Trinity University TX · Wk 10-29Trinity L 0-28 vs Centre College Kentucky · Wk 11-28Centre CL 20-34 at Millsaps · Wk 12-14Millsaps

Signature win 41-6 over Bethany (WV); toughest day 7-44 against Berry College.

The Pulse on University of the South

Quiet · dead period heritage · signal ramps back in camp
The Tigers wait in the brush.

What moved it — offseason · last 30 days

June Dead-period quiet — official-visit + heritage window
Camp Fall camp ~40 days out
"Go Tigers." — University of the South fanbase · recurring line
0 mentions · awaiting signal

Aspiration Ladder

Brief Part III §33.4 · University of the South

Winning record

The baseline for a successful season.

Conference title

The primary goal and national bracket path.

32-team bracket qualifierLocked

One of 32 national tournament entries.

Stagg BowlLocked

The Division III national championship game.

University of the South · Next-Season Outcome Band

Floor / Base / Ceiling

floor1-11Rebuild year. Below .500.
base3-9Mid-table finish.
ceiling6-6Conference title race. Bracket qualifier in range.

Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.

Act II

Who We Are

Home-Field Advantage · University of the South · 2018-present

Average

23% home win rate vs 26% on the road. margin runs -1.9 weaker at home.

Home5-16Away5-14
Act III

Last Season Reviewed

2025 season · tap to expand

Recent Form · last 10 games

Cold

One of five. The film room is busy this week.

Streak L3Last 5 · 1-4Last 10 · 3-7

Schedule Strength · University of the South · 2025

Balanced

Average opponent win rate 50% across 10 finalized games. Balanced slate across the conference slate.

Opp Win %0.508

Moment of the Year · University of the South · 2025

Won 41-6 at Bethany (WV)

Week 2 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.

Decisive Margin

From the Archive — University of the South

2024: Won 31-7 vs Rhodes College

In 2024, the program won 31-7 vs Rhodes College — a comfortable home result that left the 24-point margin on the books.

The Tigers earn their dinner.