So, you’re looking into Lehigh football. Maybe you’re a recruit, a fan of the Mountain Hawks, or just someone trying to win a bar argument about whether Lehigh could actually hang with the big boys of the FBS. Let’s get the technical stuff out of the way immediately. Lehigh University football division status is firmly planted in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
They’re a founding member of the Patriot League.
That sounds simple. It’s not.
Most people see "FCS" and think "small-time." That’s a mistake. When you look at the history of Goodman Stadium and the legendary rivalry with Lafayette, you realize that the Lehigh University football division isn’t just about scholarship counts or TV revenue—it’s about a very specific, high-academic brand of football that most of the country has forgotten how to play.
Where Lehigh Fits in the NCAA Hierarchy
The NCAA is a pyramid. At the top, you have the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) where teams like Alabama or Ohio State live. Just below that is the FCS. This is where Lehigh breathes.
The biggest difference between the Lehigh University football division and those massive state schools is scholarship limits. In the FCS, teams are capped at 63 full scholarships. Compare that to the 85 allowed in the FBS. But here’s the kicker: Patriot League schools, including Lehigh, didn’t even offer athletic scholarships for a huge chunk of their history. They only started phased-in scholarships around 2012. Before that, it was all need-based financial aid. Basically, you had to be a genius just to get in the locker room.
Lehigh is part of a "low-scholarship" or "academic-first" niche within the FCS. They aren't trying to be North Dakota State. They’re trying to be the Harvard of the Lehigh Valley, just with more aggressive linebackers.
The Patriot League Identity Crisis
Being in the Patriot League defines everything about Lehigh. It's a conference built on the "student-athlete" ideal, often mentioned in the same breath as the Ivy League.
Actually, the Patriot League was originally called the Colonial League when it started in 1986. Lehigh was right there at the start. The whole point was to create a home for schools that wanted high-level athletics without selling their souls. For years, this meant no postseason play for the conference champion. Fans hated it. Eventually, the league relented, and now the winner gets an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.
But honestly? Sometimes the playoffs feel like an afterthought compared to "The Rivalry."
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The Most Played Rivalry in College Football
If you care about the Lehigh University football division, you have to care about Lafayette. It’s simply called "The Rivalry."
159 games. That’s how many times these two have met as of late 2023. It is the most-played rivalry in all of college football history. Not Michigan-Ohio State. Not Army-Navy. Lehigh and Lafayette.
They’ve played at Yankee Stadium. They’ve played in the snow. They’ve played when both teams were winless. The intensity doesn't change because the division is FCS. In fact, the proximity—the schools are only 17 miles apart—makes the Lehigh University football division feel much bigger than it is on paper.
I’ve talked to alums who say losing to Lafayette ruins their entire year, even if Lehigh wins the Patriot League title. That’s the level of obsession we’re talking about here.
Can an FCS Team Actually Compete?
You might wonder if Lehigh ever punches up.
Short answer: Yes, but it’s getting harder.
Back in the day, Lehigh had some serious giant-killer energy. In 1977, Lehigh actually won the Division II National Championship (before the current D-I split happened). More recently, in the early 2000s and late 2010s, they were a consistent force in the FCS playoffs. Under coaches like Bill Leckonby and later Kevin Higgins, Lehigh became a "quarterback school." They threw the ball when everyone else was still running the wishbone.
Think about players like Rabih Abdullah, who went from Lehigh to a solid NFL career, or Will Rackley, who was a third-round pick. Pro scouts find their way to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, even if the Lehigh University football division doesn't get the ESPN College GameDay treatment every Saturday.
The Goodman Stadium Experience
If you’ve never been to Murray H. Goodman Stadium, you’re missing out on one of the best atmospheres in the Northeast. It’s tucked away on the Goodman Campus, surrounded by hills. No track around the field. Just grass and fans.
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It seats about 16,000.
For a Lehigh University football division game, that's huge. The tailgating culture in the "Murray" lots is legit. You’ll see three generations of engineers wearing brown and white, complaining about a missed tackle while eating some of the best grilled food you've ever had.
The Scholarship Shift and the Future
In 2012, the Patriot League made a massive pivot. They decided to allow merit-based athletic scholarships. This was a response to the league falling behind in the national FCS landscape.
Has it worked?
It’s been a mixed bag. It improved the floor of the talent level, but it also made it harder for Lehigh to differentiate itself from other FCS schools in the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) or the NEC (Northeast Conference). Lehigh is currently navigating a bit of a transition period. They’re trying to find that sweet spot between the "Academic All-Star" vibe and being a physical powerhouse that can stop the run in December.
Why the Division Matters for Recruits
If you’re a high school player looking at the Lehigh University football division, you’re looking at a 40-year decision, not a 4-year one.
The degree is worth a fortune.
Lehigh is consistently ranked as a top-tier national university. When you play FCS ball there, you’re competing against Holy Cross, Fordham, and Colgate. These are high-prestige institutions. The Lehigh University football division allows a kid to play high-level ball on Saturdays and then get recruited by top engineering firms or Wall Street banks on Mondays.
You aren't just a jersey number here.
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Misconceptions About Lehigh Football
Let's clear some things up.
First, Lehigh is not in the Ivy League. They play Ivy teams frequently—it’s a natural geographical fit—but they are Patriot League.
Second, the FCS isn't "bad" football. The speed of the game at the Lehigh University football division level is still jarring to people who only watch high school ball. The players are smaller than the guys at Georgia, sure, but the schemes are often more complex because the players are smart enough to handle them.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Prospects
If you want to actually engage with Lehigh football rather than just reading about it, here is how you do it.
For the casual fan: Don't just watch the Lafayette game. Try to catch a game against an Ivy League opponent like Princeton or Penn. The regional pride in those matchups is palpable. You can usually find the games on ESPN+, which has become the home for most Patriot League digital rights.
For the recruit: Look at the depth charts. Lehigh often plays young guys if they’re ready. They value versatility. If you’re a "tweener" who is maybe an inch too short for the Big Ten but you have a 3.8 GPA and a high motor, this is your gold mine. Reach out to the coaching staff specifically through their recruiting portal—they actually check it.
For the stats nerd: Track the "Strength of Schedule." Lehigh often plays a brutal non-conference slate to prepare for the Patriot League run. Evaluating the team based solely on their September record is usually a mistake. They tend to find their rhythm in October when the weather turns cold in the Valley.
The Lehigh University football division isn't just a category on a Wikipedia page. It’s a culture. It’s a very specific, slightly stubborn, and incredibly proud way of doing college sports. Whether they're winning the league or struggling through a rebuild, the Mountain Hawks remain one of the most interesting case studies in how to balance big-time athletics with legitimate academic rigor.