We have been writing in our DIII, D2, and FCS football previews on how crucial a football program can be to the health and vitality of a small college or university.
Mt. Mercy University in Cedar Rapids is in 2025 beginning their transition season to add NAIA football for the 2026 season. Clarke University in Dubuque also added NAIA football in 2019 for the same reason.
Football helps drive college enrollment at colleges and universities.
One of the key driving factors for Mt. Mercy to add football is tied to their strategic merger that is well under way with St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. The Mount Mercy name will also be retained in the strategic combination, with that institution becoming the Mount Mercy Campus of St. Ambrose University.
“The two universities are expected to fully combine in Summer 2026, pending step-two approval by the U.S. Department of Education.” St. Ambrose Press Release June 27, 2025
“Adding football in this time of change, transition, frankly turbulence, in higher education is going to be a powerful strategy to move forward with our enrollment growth,” Todd Olson Mt. Mercy President shared. “It is a powerful strategy to strengthen the sense of community and connection for our students and for our campus, and it is a powerful strategy to be an even more meaningful contributor to this neighborhood and the Cedar Rapids community.”
St. Ambrose President Novak said the average collegiate football program includes between 100 to 110 students, which will bring about both a strong revenue stream and “a significant source of new students that brings energy and vitality to a campus community.”
Mt. Mercy has approximately 1,451 total students (1,185 undergrads) so adding 100+ students to play football will be very beneficial for enrollment.
Mt. Mercy is recruiting heavily and playing three transition games this fall. A scrimmage against Grinnell and then JV contests against Clarke and Simpson College.
They are building their roster for 2026 with 57 players currently – 19 are former Iowa High School Football Players.
Coach MD Daniels was hired to build the Mustang program from the ground up. He was the offensive co-ordinator for the top 25 NAIA program Bethel. His offense was ranked in the top-five in scoring in the NAIA in 2023, while the passing game alone was ranked in the top-10.
Coach Daniels knows the state as he was the head coach at Iowa Wesleyan from January of 2020 through the spring of 2023 (The school unfortunately closed in May of 2023). Daniels’ squad ranked in the top-15 in the NAIA in total passing yards, passing yards per game, pass completions, and passing first downs over the course of his tenure in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.
Coach Daniels should be bringing an exciting offense to Mt. Mercy and he knows the state well from his Iowa Wesleyan experience. It is a full circle moment, that he will get the chance to lead the new Mustang program which replaces the Iowa College football program he was leading in Mt. Pleasant when Iowa Wesleyan closed.
It is going to be great to cover the birth of a new college football program in Cedar Rapids in 2026.
