Walsh University
6-5 2025 finalWalsh is the rising Cavaliers program that stunned Ashland with a watershed victory and proved a small Catholic university can compete in Division II's toughest conference.
The Cavaliers hold the line.
Walsh is the rising Cavaliers program that stunned Ashland with a watershed victory and proved a small Catholic university can compete in Division II's toughest conference.
Walsh enters 2026 off its best NCAA Division II season (6-5 overall, 4-5 G-MAC) in program history. Head Coach John Fankhauser (ninth year since 2018) has provided stability and incremental growth, establishing a culture that led…
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
The Pulse on Walsh University
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · Walsh University
The baseline for a successful season.
Earns a Super Region playoff qualifier bid.
Entry into the 32-team national bracket.
The Division II national championship game.
Walsh University · 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
Fanbase Health Index · Walsh University · medium confidence
Growing (55)
Home-Field Advantage · Walsh University · 2018-present
Soft
30% home win rate vs 36% on the road. margin runs +0.7 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Cooling
Two of five. Schedule has caught up.
Great Midwest Athletic Standing · 2025
5th in the Great Midwest Athletic
Walsh University sits 5th of 10 in the Great Midwest Athletic at 6-5. Mid-conference — moves up or down depend on rivalry results and the late-season closing run.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Findlay | 10-2 |
| 2 | Ashland | 10-3 |
| 3 | Northwood (MI) | 9-3 |
| 4 | Tiffin | 7-4 |
| 5 | Walsh | 6-5 |
| 6 | Hillsdale | 6-6 |
| 7 | Ohio Dominican | 5-5 |
| 8 | Lake Erie | 2-9 |
| 9 | Thomas More College | 1-10 |
| 10 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 0-11 |
Schedule Strength · Walsh University · 2025
Balanced
Average opponent win rate 46% across 11 finalized games. Balanced slate across the conference slate.
Moment of the Year · Walsh University · 2025
Won 38-10 vs West Liberty
Week 1 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.
From the Archive — Walsh University
2024: Won 63-34 vs Lake Erie
In 2024, the program won 63-34 vs Lake Erie — a blowout home result that left the 29-point margin on the books.
Go Cavaliers.