8-26-2026 2:17pm

TU Season

Towson Football Hosts Maine to Open 2026 Season on Thursday Night

The Game: Towson (0-0, 0-0 CAA) vs. Maine (0-0, 0-0 CAA)

When: Thurs., Aug. 27 – 6 p.m.
Where: Johnny Unitas® Stadium – Towson, Md.
Tickets: am.ticketmaster.com/towson/buy
Promotion: Gold Rush
--First 2,000 fans receive Gold Rush jerseys

The Towson University football team is ready to begin the 2026 season, opening at home on a Thursday night for the first time in nearly 20 years. The Tigers host Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) foe Maine on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. under the lights at Johnny Unitas® Stadium for the annual Gold Rush game.

Tickets for the game are available at am.ticketmaster.com/towson/buy. The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a Gold Rush jersey, presented by Ledo Pizza. For more information on Towson tickets, including group experiences and fundraising opportunities, contact the Towson Ticket Office at 410-704-4501 or by emailing 4tigertix@towson.edu. In addition, from 5-6 p.m. in the Family Fun Zone, Ravens legend Jimmy Smith and mascot Poe will be there to interact with fans.

The game will be broadcast on the Monumental Sports Network; check your local listings for channel information. In addition, Spiro Morekas and Gordy Combs will have the online broadcast on FloCollege and the radio call on Towsontigers.com from Unitas.

This is the 2026 season opener for both teams. Both squads finished 6-6 overall last year, with Towson being 4-4 in the league while Maine finished 5-3. Towson won its last two games of 2025, defeating Campbell 35-31 on Nov. 22, while Maine fell in its last two games of 2025, losing at New Hampshire 33-27 on that same date.

This is the 16th all-time meeting between Towson and Maine and first since Sept. 14, 2019: then #8 Towson defeated #7/9 Maine 45-23 in Orono, to date Towson's only regular season game between two top-10 FCS opponents. Maine leads the all-time series 8-7, winning 35-28 on Nov. 3, 2018, the last meeting in Towson.

This is the earliest Towson has ever played in a season, surpassing last year's Thursday, August 28 season opening 27-7 win at Norfolk State. It is Towson's first Thursday night home opener since defeating Central Connecticut State 20-10 on Aug. 30, 2007. It is the ninth time in Towson history where the Tigers began the season on a Thursday, including the fifth time at home.

This is the first time as a CAA member where Towson opens against a league opponent. Towson last opened against a conference foe as a Patriot League member on Sept. 2, 2000, defeating Fordham on the road 36-13.

FOURTH YEAR IN PETE SHINNICK ERA
Towson enters its fourth season under head coach Pete Shinnick in 2025. Under coach Shinnick, Towson has earned three victories over then-top-15 teams and has finished at least .500 in CAA play in each of his first three years.

Towson has had five head coaches in program history: Carl Runk (1969-71), Phil Albert (1972-91), Gordy Combs (1992-2008), Rob Ambrose (2009-22) and Pete Shinnick (2023-pres.).

THREE TIGERS RECOGNIZED IN CAA PRESEASON AWARDS
Three players were recognized in the CAA Preseason Honors, led by KJ Brooks being CAA Preseason All-Conference while each Andrew Indorf and Daniel Anderla being CAA Preseason All-Conference Honorable Mention. All three are honored with preseason league awards for the first time.

Brooks, a former FCS Freshman All-American in 2023, has been Towson's primary player at right tackle for the past three seasons. In 2025, the senior from Olney, Maryland started all 12 games for the Tigers, having starts at right tackle, left guard and left tackle.

Indorf, the 2025 CAA Co-Rookie of the Year, was Towson's starting quarterback in all 12 games last year, throwing 59.6% for 2,344 yards, 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions, helping Towson have the fewest interceptions among CAA teams.

Anderla worked as Towson's long snapper in all 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2025. Towson's kicker and punter each were all-conference honorees last season, including Caden Williams setting a Towson football single season record for best field goal percentage at 88.2%.

THE 2025 STARTING QUARTERBACK RETURNS
Andrew Indorf, the 2025 CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year and Jerry Rice Award finalist, has returned to Towson as the presumptive starting quarterback for 2026. Indorf is set to be the first Towson quarterback to be the primary starter in back-to-back years since Tom Flacco was a two-year starter in 2018-19.

Indorf was the first Towson player to be a CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year since Shane Simpson in 2016 and the first to be a Jerry Rice Award finalist since Mason Woods in 2022.

The sophomore will have a new receiver group to work with this year with Towson returning 20.9% (589 of 2,813) of its receiving yards from 2025. Cleveland Charlton leads all returning receivers with 12 catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns in 2025.

HELP WANTED
Among a combined 22 starters from last season (offense/defense), Towson returns just three, all being on offense: quarterback Andrew Indorf and offensive linemen KJ Brooks and Joden Nelson.

CAPTAINS AT THE READY
Shinnick named Shamir Boyd, KJ Brooks, Andrew Indorf, Ben Kumpon, Matthieu Longa and Joden Nelson as permanent captains for the 2026 campaign.

REINFORCEMENTS INCOMING
Towson has brought in 51 new players for 2026, including 26 true freshmen and 25 transfers. They add to the 53 returners for a 104-man roster.

Newcomers:
--Offense: 16 freshmen, nine transfers (26 returners)
--Defense: Nine freshmen, 15 transfers (24 returners)
--Special Teams: One freshman, one transfer (three returners)

Of Towson's 104 players, 68 have played just at Towson and 36 are transfers.

FRESHMEN FORTHCOMING
Towson brought in 26 true freshmen for this season after bringing in 27 true freshman last year. The 2025 freshmen class ties the largest freshmen class at Towson since 2014. Including 23 true freshmen brought in for 2024, Coach Shinnick has had three of the largest four freshmen classes at Towson since 2014, with 26 freshmen brought in for 2017. Of the 26 freshmen for 2026, 14 come from the home state of Maryland.

TOWSON PICKED SIXTH IN CAA PRESEASON POLL
The Tigers were predicted to finish sixth in the league in the preseason coaches poll. Towson received 93 points in the poll. Defending CAA co-champion Rhode Island is predicted to finish first followed by Monmouth and Elon.
2026 CAA Football Predicted Order of Finish (first-place votes)
1. Rhode Island (12 first-place votes) 144
2. Monmouth 119
3. Elon 115
4. New Hampshire 106
5. Stony Brook (1 first-place vote) 105
6. Towson 93
7. Maine 88
8. Campbell 56
9. Bryant 50
10. Sacred Heart 49
11. UAlbany 35
12. North Carolina A&T 28
13. Hampton 26