The Panthers are Coming Home

Hartnell College to celebrate historic return of Panther football to
Bill Elliott Football Field on Sept. 5

SALINAS, Calif. — Panther Football is coming home.

On Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, Hartnell College will welcome students, alumni, former players and coaches, and the entire Salinas Valley community back to the Main Campus for a home game against Chabot College at 1 p.m. on Bill Elliott Football Field. It will be the first home game played on campus in Hartnell's history, and the first ever played on the newly renovated field.

The first 100 fans to arrive will receive a Hartnell College athletics T-shirt.

Our Coming Home game is more than a homecoming, it marks the beginning of a new chapter for Hartnell Athletics,” said Ivan Guerrero, Dean of Athletics. “We’re bringing our community together on a field we’ve dreamed of calling home for years. For so many of us, this is a full-circle moment, one that honors generations of Panther pride while creating new memories for generations to come.”

The game will be played on Bill Elliott Football Field, named for Salinas native and Hartnell alumnus Charles "Bill" Elliott, an All-American junior college center in 1957 and 1958 before he continued his career at San Jose State University. Elliott and his wife, Barbara, became lifelong supporters of Hartnell Athletics, backing scholarships, uniforms, equipment and facilities. Their legacy lives on through the Bill Elliott Scholarship program.

The field underwent major renovations alongside the Gary Shaw Track, celebrating its grand reopening in December 2024. Now, Sept. 5 brings the next milestone, as the renovated facility hosts its first Football Saturday.

Hartnell is inviting every generation of former players, coaches and longtime supporters to return to campus, wear maroon and gold, and help welcome the Hartnell team onto the field.

Fans are encouraged to arrive early and park in the campus parking structure, located near the Main Campus entrance on Central Ave.

Game details: Hartnell College Panthers vs. Chabot College
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Location: Bill Elliott Football Field, Hartnell College Main Campus411 Central Ave., Salinas, CA 93901