The 2022 season started and ended the same way for the Maine Black Bears—with a series of losses—but as disappointing as that likely was, there still were two teams below Maine in the Colonial Athletic Association standings.

Maine opened the year with four consecutive losses, before back-to-back victories over CAA rivals Hampton and Monmouth. That’s where the momentum ended, however, as the Black Bears closed with five consecutive losses, including a 42-41 overtime heartbreaker against longtime rival New Hampshire.

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The Black Bears finished 2022 with a 2-6 record in CAA play and a 2-9 mark overall.

CAA Football returns eight programs that finished with winning records in 2022. That includes William & Mary, who went 11-2 overall and tied with New Hampshire atop of the CAA standings with a 7-1 record. 

CAA football action will be streamed live on FloFootball and the FloSports app, including all of Maine’s CAA games.

Here’s What To Know About Maine Football.

What Year Did Maine Football Start Playing?

Maine’s football history began with a two-game (two losses) season in 1892. The Black Bears are 571-416-33 all-time.

Their time as an independent was brief, as they joined the Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1893. They remained there until 1946 and then spent the next 50 years in the Yankee Conference, a predecessor to the CAA. The Yankee Conference merged with the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2006, and that transitioned to CAA Football.

Maine began playing under the CAA Football umbrella in 2007.

When Did Maine Join Division I College Football? 

Like most teams with a history as long as the Black Bears, Maine made the steady progression through the football ranks as the sport grew and transitioned.

They began with what was the College Division in 1956 and transitioned to Division II in 1973. Division I-AA came in 1978, and 2006 brought a new name for the category—Division I FCS.

How Many Times Has Maine Football Made It To The Postseason Or FCS Playoffs?

The Black Bears have made eight appearances in the Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs and own an 8-5 record.

Their first postseason berth came in 1987, and their most recent was in 2018, also marking their best effort. Maine advanced to the semifinals, where it fell to Eastern Washington, 50-19.

The Black Bears also have one bowl game to their credit, a 31-0 loss to East Carolina in the 1965 Tangerine Bowl. It was the culmination of a surprising season that saw an ultimately outmatched team find great success on the way to an 8-2 record and a Yankee Conference title.

That 1965 team was enshrined in the UMaine Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

When Did Maine Football Join The CAA?

Maine was among the original teams to begin play with the official start of CAA Football in 2007.

The Black Bears have compiled a 66-58 record in conference play, including personal-best 7-1 efforts in 2013 and 2018 on the way to their two CAA titles.

Has Maine Football Ever Won The CAA title?

Yes. 

In 2013 and 2018, the Black Bears were 7-1 and claimed the titles.

They have 13 conference titles overall, seven shared and six outright. The first nine came in the Yankee Conference, two were in the Atlantic 10 Conference and the last two were in the CAA. 

Their first conference title came in 1949, and the most recent was in 2018.

Who Is Maine Football Head Coach Jordan Stevens?

The young Jordan Stevens took the reins in Maine in December 2021, and the 2022 campaign was his debut season as the team’s head coach.

It took some time, but Stevens got his first win in October, a 31-24 CAA victory over Hampton. Stevens and the Black Bears finished 2022 with a 2-6 conference record and a 2-9 tally overall.

Stevens took on the role just a few years removed from his playing days. He played for the Black Bears as a defensive lineman from 2006-2009, then coached the defensive line from 2011-2015.

Stevens honed his skills some more during a seven-year stint at Yale, where he started as a defensive line coach and moved on to assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator—then back to looking after the defensive line. He helped Yale to Ivy League titles in 2017 and 2019.

The break in Stevens’ career timeline after his playing days in Maine included a stop in an NFL Rookie Mini Camp with the Detroit Lions and a time with the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League for a mini camp and training camp in 2010.

Where Do The Maine Black Bears Play Their Football Games?

For a quarter of a century, the Black Bears have played their home games on Morse Field at Alfond Stadium, made possible by the donations of Harold Alfond and Phillip and Susan (Keene) Morse.

The first game at the venue was a 52-28 victory over longtime rival New Hampshire in 1998.

The facility can seat 10,000, thanks to Alfond’s contributions, while the Morse family has been credited with the playing surface, lights and scoreboard.

The largest crowd in the stadium’s history came against UAlbany in 2016 (10,443).

What’s An Interesting Fact About Maine Football?

Three Black Bears have played in the Super Bowl, with Trevor Bates being a member of the practice squad for the New England Patriots team that won the 2017 edition of the big game.

In the past two decades, Maine has had 33 players picked in the NFL Draft or signed as rookie free agents. Among them, Baltimore Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard has been to the Pro Bowl four times.

Who Is Maine Football’s Biggest Rival? 

The Maine Black Bears know a little something about tradition, considering they’ve been in action since 1892.

Included in that storied history is a 111-game rivalry between Maine and New Hampshire—The Border Battle.

Since the 1940s, the matchup has included a special trophy, along with bragging rights, of course—The Brice-Cowell Musket.

The prize is named after two former coaches, Maine’s Fred Brice and UNH’s William Cowell. The flintlock rifle was made between 1722 and 1745, and the winner of the annual battles keeps it until they meet again.

The game usually is played during the last week of the regular season, and the 2022 edition left Maine with a heartbreaking end to a disappointing season.

UNH escaped with a 42-41 overtime win in Maine. The Wildcats scored first in the extra period, and Maine answered with a score of its own, but ultimately fell short with a failed two-point conversion while going for the win.

New Hampshire leads the series 57-45-8. Maine last won in 2021 by a score of 33-20.

Where Is The University Of Maine?

The University of Maine is in Orono, Maine. 

It was founded in 1862 and established as Maine State College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts in 1865. It opened in 1868 and later changed its name to the University of Maine in 1897.

Notable University Of Maine Alums

Famed author Stephen King, former Maine governors John Baldacci, Joseph E. Brennan, Paul LePage and John P. McKernan Jr., former U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, Tony Shalhoub (award-winning actor), Rick Carlisle (NBA player and coach) and dozens more professional athletes across baseball, basketball, football, hockey, track and field and wrestling.

Maine Football Schedule 2023 

• Sept. 2: at Florida International, 6:30 p.m. ET
• Sept. 9: at North Dakota State, 3:30 p.m. ET
• Sept. 16: Rhode Island, 3:30 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Sept. 23: at William & Mary, 3:30 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Sept. 30: Stony Brook, 3:30 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Oct. 7: at Richmond, 3:30 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Oct. 14: LIU, 1 p.m., FloSports ET
• Oct. 21: at Campbell, 4 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Oct. 28: UAlbany, 1 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Nov. 4: Hampton, 1 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Nov. 18: at New Hampshire, 1 p.m. ET, FloSports

How To Watch Maine Football In 2023?

All CAA football games will stream on FloFootball and the FloSports app this fall. Some non-conference games may not be available on FloSports.