You’ve felt it if you’ve ever stepped foot in Belton on a Saturday. That specific, vibrating energy that only exists when The Cru is playing at Crusader Stadium. But let’s be real—the mary hardin baylor football schedule wasn't just a list of dates this past year. It was a gauntlet. If you followed the 2025 season, you saw a program that is traditionally "championship or bust" navigating a landscape that felt a bit more like a roller coaster than a victory parade.
Honestly, the schedule for UMHB is always heavy. You don't play in the American Southwest Conference (ASC) and expect a cakewalk. But 2025? That was something else entirely.
The 2025 Grind: What Actually Happened
It kicked off in September with a nail-biter. On September 6, Bethel University came to town. UMHB escaped with a 30-23 win, but it wasn't the dominant "Cru" style we’re used to. Then, the reality check. Wisconsin-Whitewater showed up on September 20 and handed Mary Hardin-Baylor a 26-6 loss. In Belton. That doesn't happen often.
The road didn't get easier. A trip to North Carolina to face Mars Hill resulted in another loss (21-7). Suddenly, the powerhouse was 1-2. Critics were loud. Social media was louder.
But here is where it gets interesting. Larry Harmon’s squad didn't fold. They basically went on a tear.
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The back half of the mary hardin baylor football schedule saw them face conference rivals twice in some cases due to the shifting nature of the ASC. They swept East Texas Baptist (42-28 and 62-14). They handled Howard Payne with ease. But the game everyone had circled? Hardin-Simmons.
The rivalry is the heartbeat of D3 football in Texas. After losing the first matchup 34-7 in Abilene, UMHB got their revenge on November 8 with a gritty 21-17 win in Belton. It was the kind of game that reminds you why people travel across the state for Division III ball. They finished the regular season 7-3, a record most teams would kill for, but for The Cru, it felt like a building block for whatever comes next in 2026.
Looking Ahead: The 2026 Landscape
So, what about the next mary hardin baylor football schedule?
While the official 2026 calendar is usually finalized and blasted out by the athletic department in the spring, we already know the rhythm. The ASC is smaller now. With teams like McMurry and others moving around, the schedule has become a bit of a "double-round robin" style within the conference.
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You can bet your last dollar on a few things:
- A massive non-conference opener against a Top-25 opponent.
- The inevitable two-game showdown with Hardin-Simmons.
- A schedule that prioritizes regional strength to satisfy the NCAA selection committee.
The 2026 season will likely start in early September. If the patterns hold, expect a home-heavy start to balance out the travel-heavy finish from last year.
Why the Schedule Matters More Now
The NCAA Division III playoffs have changed. The criteria for getting in—especially for a team that might not win their conference outright—is brutal. You need "strength of schedule." You need wins against teams with winning records.
That’s why the mary hardin baylor football schedule is always packed with teams like UW-Whitewater or UW-River Falls. They aren't looking for easy wins. They are looking for "Resume Wins."
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When you look at the 2025 results, you see a team that learned how to win close games again. They finished on a 5-game winning streak. That momentum is exactly what fans are looking for as they refresh the Cru Athletics page waiting for the 2026 dates to drop.
Planning Your Saturday in Belton
If you're heading to a game, remember that Crusader Stadium is a different beast. It’s arguably the best facility in D3.
- Tailgating: It starts early on King Street. It’s sort of a rite of passage.
- The Spirit: Watch for the Cru Spirit stop. Tattoos, paint, the whole nine yards.
- The Game: Kickoff times fluctuate, but those 6:00 PM games under the lights are where the magic happens.
Basically, the mary hardin baylor football schedule is the roadmap for the town's social life from September to November. Whether they are playing a powerhouse from the North or a local rival from down the road, the stakes are always high.
Keep an eye on the official UMHB athletics site as we move through the spring of 2026. The spring ball reports will start surfacing soon, and that’s when the new schedule usually goes from "rumored" to "set in stone." For now, fans are just savoring that late-season revenge win over HSU and counting down the days until the purple and gold take the field again.
To stay ahead of the game, your best move is to bookmark the UMHB composite calendar and keep a close eye on the American Southwest Conference standings, as the 2026 schedule will be heavily influenced by the final conference alignments and non-conference contracts signed in the coming months.