PORTLAND, Ore.—After putting together their best season in over a decade, Lewis & Clark College football is set to host five home games at Griswold Stadium as part of their 2026 schedule. 
 
The River Otters went 6-4 last Fall to finish with an above .500 record for the first time since 2011 (7-2). Head coach Brett Elliott led Lewis & Clark to their seventh-ever 5-0 start and the program's third winning season in the past 30 years. 
 
Lewis & Clark will open the season against the University of Puget Sound for the fifth-straight season. The River Otters and Loggers will face off on Saturday, September 5 at 1 p.m. in Tacoma for the fifth annual Northwest Scholar Series. Football has won three of the first four Northwest Scholar Series matchups – including a 56-20 win in Elliott's head coach debut last season. Sophomore quarterback Dashiell Weaver threw for 359 yards and five touchdowns in his L&C debut and the River Otters racked up 299 rushing yards on 45 carries (4.5 yards per carry). 
 
Football will head to Newberg in week two for the Oregon Cup Championship Game. Lewis & Clark and host George Fox University will play on Saturday, September 12 at 7:05 p.m. The River Otters clinched their spot in the Oregon Cup Championship Game with a 38-10 home win over the Bruins last Fall. Both teams went 2-1 over the past three seasons in Oregon Cup games to qualify for the Championship. The Oregon Cup was created four years ago as a non-conference contest between Northwest Conference schools Pacific University, Willamette University, Lewis & Clark and George Fox. In last year's meeting, Lewis & Clark forced and recovered three fumbles and jumped out to a 31-7 lead at halftime. 
 
The River Otters will open their home schedule on Saturday, September 19, when they host Pomona-Pitzer at 1 p.m. Lewis & Clark knocked off the defending Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Champions in Claremont, California last season. Weaver threw for two touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown in a 21-3 win over the Saghens. Lewis & Clark's defense racked up seven sacks and 11.5 tackles-for-loss to allow their fewest points in a game since October 2010. The Sagehens finished the 2025 season 5-5 overall and in third place in the SCIAC Conference (4-4). 
 
Lewis & Clark will open conference play on October 3 with a second trip to Puget Sound. Football has won five-straight games over Puget Sound and nine of the past 10. In two meetings last season, the River Otters outscored the Loggers 114-41. Lewis & Clark has recorded 50 or more points against Puget Sound in each of the past five meetings. 
 
The River Otters will take on NWC rival Willamette University on October 10 in their NWC home opener. The two teams will compete in the Wagon Wheel Rivalry Game at 1 p.m. Lewis & Clark has dominated the series with a program-record eight-consecutive Wagon Wheel wins. Football earned a 28-20 win over Willamette last season in Salem. Lewis & Clark raced out to a 21-0 lead and used a five-minute drive to close out the game and secure the victory. 
 
Football will host George Fox on October 17 at 1 p.m. for Homecoming. The two teams split the season series last season, with the Bruins handing Lewis & Clark their first loss of the year. The River Otters have won on Homecoming in four of the past six seasons. 
 
Lewis & Clark will close out the season playing three of the four teams that finished ahead of them in the 2025 NWC Standings. The River Otters will travel to take on 2025 NWC Champion Whitworth University (7-0 NWC) on October 24. They will return home to take on NWC runner-up Linfield University (6-1) on Halloween. Football will wrap up the toughest part of their schedule with a trip to NWC third-place Pacific Lutheran University (5-2) on November 7. 
 
The River Otters will close out the regular season on Saturday, November 14 with a home game against Pacific University. Lewis & Clark will honor their seniors prior to their Senior Day game. Football has won three of the past four meetings with the Boxers, including earning a 28-21 win last year in Forest Grove. Graduate student Sam Simril threw for two scores and ran for another and 2026 graduate Jordan Lahusky ran for a career-high 141 yards and a touchdown. 
 
Lewis & Clark returns their top two quarterbacks (Weaver and Simril) and a strong group of skill position players on offense. Sophomore wide receiver Sytyn Lasconia was named to the NWC Second Team as a first year and led the team led the team with 44 receptions, 661 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Senior tight end Julius Walker and wide receiver Rio Cruz will look to lead a young receiving core. On the offensive line, senior Iggy Marquez and junior Ramses Packer each were named to the NWC All-Conference Team for the first time last season.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, senior defensive end JT Chavez earned his first career All-Conference honors last season after leading the team with six sacks and 10 tackles-for-loss. Lewis & Clark will look to fifth-years Mitchell Sarmento and Kahiau Chang and senior Jordan Delgado to provide veteran leadership and help the defense take another step froward.