ASHLAND, Va. – Following a trip to the NCAA Tournament second round in 2025, Randolph-Macon Football has its sights set on the 2026 campaign.
Under Head Coach
Pedro Arruza, RMC finished the 2025 season 9-2 overall with a 8-0 conference mark, capturing the 16th ODAC title in program history. The Yellow Jackets were selected to their fourth consecutive NCAA tournament. RMC was #21 in the final AFCA Coaches Poll and #22 in the d3football.com Top-25 Poll.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Randolph-Macon will begin its season on the road at Dickinson on September 4. The Lemon and Black opened last season with a home victory over the Red Devils by a score of 48-34 and hold a 7-0 all-time record in the series. Dickinson finished the 2025 season 5-6 overall and 3-4 in the Centennial Conference.
The home opener will take place with a marquee matchup with Johns Hopkins on September 12. This will be the first matchup between both programs since Randolph-Macon took down the Blue Jays in the third round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament by a score of 39-36. Johns Hopkins finished last season 12-2, 6-1 in the Centennial Conference and appeared in the national semifinals, falling to eventual national champion Wisconsin- River Falls.
Maryville will make the trip to Ashland the following weekend, marking the final non-conference contest of the season on September 19. This will be the first time the programs have met since the 1988 season. The Yellow Jackets defeated the Scots by a score of 19-7 at home and hold a 14-3 lead in the all-time series. Maryville finished last season 7-3 overall and 4-3 in the Southern Athletic Association.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
The Lemon and Black will open conference play on Oct. 3 at home against Bridgewater. The Eagles concluded the 2025 season with a 3-6 record and went 4-4 in ODAC play. RMC won last year's matchup 27-3 on the road to open conference play. The Yellow Jackets are 66-17-3 in the series against Bridgewater, their most wins against any single opponent in the program's history, and have won 10 of the last 11 meetings.
Randolph-Macon will head to Washington and Lee on October 10. The Yellow Jackets defeated the Generals last season 24-6 on Hall of Fame/Family Weekend. RMC holds a lead in the all-time series 37-28-3, including four straight victories over WLU. The Generals went 7-4 last season and 6-2 in the ODAC, defeating Lycoming, 14-12, in the Cape Charles Bowl to complete the season.
The team will stay on the road with a trip to Averett on October 17. Randolph-Macon defeated the Cougars 77-20 at home last season. The Yellow Jackets lead the series 13-0, including a 4-0 mark since Averett joined the conference in 2022.
Randolph-Macon will return home to welcome in Guilford on October 24 for Homecoming. The Lemon and Black took down the Quakers on the road last season by a score of 47-0. RMC won its tenth consecutive game against Guilford last season, leading the all-time series 41-25-2.
The Yellow Jackets will head back on the road to battle Shenandoah on October 31. The Hornets are coming off a strong season, in which they finished with an 8-3 overall record, going 6-2 in conference play and fell to Wilkes in the Cape Henry Bowl by a score of 37-35. Randolph-Macon defeated Shenandoah on Senior Day last season, 31-14.
Randolph-Macon will face Roanoke on November 7 in Ashland. The Maroons finished last season with a 5-4 (4-4) record. RMC defeated Roanoke last season 35-17 on the road in front of a packed Salem Stadium.
The final week of the regular season will see Randolph-Macon take on Hampden-Sydney for the 131st edition of "The Game" in Farmville, Virginia on November 14. The Yellow Jackets are 59-60-11 all-time against the Tigers and have won 12 straight games in the series, including a 42-14 win at home in 2025.
Tailgating information will be sent out by the Development Office at a later date.
