NEWPORT NEWS — The 2024 football season opens on Saturday, as the Captains of Christopher Newport travel to Angola, Indiana, to take on the Thunder of Trine University. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at Shive Field at Fred Zollner Athletic Stadium.
The game will be the first meeting of the programs, and will be the season opener for both squads. The Captains finished 7-4 last fall, capturing their first-ever New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) title since joining the conference in 2015. Paul Crowley‘s squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, and looks to build on the momentum established a year ago.
“We certainly did some very good things last year, but that’s a long time ago,” Crowley said. “We’re not looking back, we’re looking forward to a very competitive schedule beginning with Trine. We want to get off to a good start, and I know our guys are extremely excited to get this season underway.”
Crowley will begin his third season leading the program, and has posted two successful seasons since being promoted to Head Coach. His teams have registered a record of 14-7 overall and 10-2 in NJAC competition.
Christopher Newport was picked to repeat as Champions of the NJAC by the league’s coaches in their annual pre-season poll. Trine, meanwhile, is coming off a 6-4 season last year, and the Thunder is picked to finish third this season in the Michigan Intercollegaite Athletic Association (MIAA).
The Christopher Newport football program began play in 2001, and has enjoyed tremendous success over its first 23 seasons. CNU has compiled an all-time record of 142-89 for a winning percentage of .615. The Captains have won 11 conference titles, and recorded an all-time conference record of 113-44 (.720). Christopher Newport has advanced to the NCAA Tournament 11 times, including the first four years in program history.
