Northern Colorado Bears football
Northern Colorado Bears | |||
---|---|---|---|
| |||
First season | 1893[1] | ||
Head coach |
Earnest Collins, Jr. 6th year, 21–46 (.313) | ||
Stadium | Nottingham Field | ||
Seating capacity | 8,533[2] | ||
Location | Greeley, Colorado | ||
NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
Conference | Big Sky Conference | ||
All-time record | 428–450–27 (.488) | ||
Claimed nat'l titles |
2 (D-II) (1996, 1997)[1] | ||
Conference titles |
12 (D-II) RMAC - 4 GPAC - 3 NCC - 5 [1] | ||
Colors |
Blue and Gold[3] | ||
Website | uncbears.com |
- For information on all University of Northern Colorado sports, see Northern Colorado Bears
The Northern Colorado Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Northern Colorado located in Greeley, Colorado. The team competes in the Big Sky Conference[4] at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The university's first football team was fielded in 1893.[5] The team plays its home games at the on campus 8,533 seat[2] Nottingham Field. The Bears are coached by Earnest Collins.
Conference affiliation
Source:[1]
Below is the list of conferences in which Northern Colorado has been a member.
First Year | End Year | Conference |
---|---|---|
Conference Affiliation | ||
1923 | 1972 | Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference |
1973 | 1976 | Great Plains Athletic Conference |
1980 | 2002 | North Central Conference |
2004 | 2005 | Great West Football Conference |
2006 | present | Big Sky Conference |
As of the 2014 season.
Championships
National championships
Northern Colorado made two appearances in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game. The Bears defeated Carson–Newman, 23-14 in 1996, and later defeated New Haven, 51-0 in 1997.
Year | NCAA Division | Coach | Record | National Championship Game | Opponent | PF | PA | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | II | Joe Glenn | 12-3 | 1996 Division II National Championship | Carson–Newman | 23 | 14 | Florence, AL |
1997 | II | Joe Glenn | 13-2 | 1997 Division II National Championship | New Haven | 51 | 0 | Florence, AL |
Total national championships | 2 | |||||||
Playoff appearances (NCAA Division II)
Source:[1]
The Bears have appeared in the NCAA Division II playoffs six times with an overall record of 12–7.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
NCAA Division II Playoffs | |||
1980 | First Round | Eastern Illinois | L 14–21 |
1990 | First Round | North Dakota State | L 7–17 |
1991 | First Round | Portland State | L 24–28 |
1995 | First Round | Pittsburg State | L 17–36 |
1996 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals | Pittsburg State NW Missouri State Clarion Carson-Newman | W 24–21 W 27–26 W 19–18 W 23–14 |
1997 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals | Pittsburg State NW Missouri State Carson-Newman New Haven | W 24–16 W 35–19 W 30–29 W 51–0 |
1998 | First Round Quarterfinals | North Dakota NW Missouri State | W 52–28 L 17–42 |
1999 | First Round Quarterfinals | Pittsburg State NW Missouri State | W 34–31 L 35–41 |
2002 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Central Missouri State NW Missouri State Grand Valley | W 49–28 W 23–12 L 7–44 |
Attendance
Highest attendance
Source:[1]
Below is a list of the Bears best-attended home games at Nottingham Field.
Rk. | Date | Opponent | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|
Highest attendance | |||
1 | October 1, 2005 | Cal Poly | 9,145 |
2 | October 29, 2005 | Fort Lewis | 8,561 |
3 | October 2, 2010 | Montana | 8,105 |
4 | September 3, 2005 | Colorado School of Mines | 7,554 |
5 | October 23, 1998 | South Dakota | 7,520 |
6 | October 9, 1999 | Nebraska-Omaha | 7,499 |
7 | November 21, 1998 | North Dakota | 7,312 |
8 | September 20, 1998 | Texas State | 7,246 |
9 | October 19, 2002 | South Dakota | 7,198 |
10 | October 10, 1998 | South Dakota | 7,135 |
As of the 2014 season.
Yearly attendance
Source:[1]
Below is the Bears home attendance by season at Nottingham Field.
Season | Total | Average | High |
---|---|---|---|
Northern Colorado Bears | |||
2015 | |||
2014 | 21,037 | 4,207 | 6,348 |
2013 | 23,990 | 3,998 | 4,619 |
2012 | 21,240 | 4,248 | 5,136 |
2011 | 23,428 | 3,905 | 5,692 |
2010 | 27,919 | 5,584 | 8,105 |
2009 | 21,111 | 3,518 | 5,247 |
2008 | 21,676 | 4,355 | 7,246 |
2007 | 20,441 | 4,088 | 6,684 |
2006 | 28,857 | 6,219 | 4,810 |
2005 | 37,549 | 7,510 | 9,142 |
2004 | 27,370 | 4,562 | 6,481 |
2003 | 28,730 | 5,746 | 6,660 |
2002 | 34,898 | 5,816 | 7,198 |
2001 | 26,153 | 4,359 | 5,488 |
2000 | 29,162 | 6,352 | 4,860 |
1999 | 46,552 | 6,650 | 7,520 |
1998 | 40,690 | 5,813 | 7,312 |
1997 | 25,302 | 4,217 | 6,345 |
1996 | 27,282 | 4,547 | 6,318 |
1995 | 25,067 | 4,364 | 7,024 |
As of the 2014 season.
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
- Reed Doughty
- Vincent Jackson
- Dirk Johnson
- Bill Kenney
- Corte McGuffey
- Brad Pyatt
- Tony Ramirez
- Aaron Smith
- Dave Stalls
- Frank Wainright
- Jed Roberts
- Herve Tonye-Tonye
- Cedric Tillman
- Mark Sedinger
- Brian Scott
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Northern Colorado Record Book" (PDF). Northern Colorado Bears Athletics. December 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- 1 2 "Gameday at Northern Colorado". University of Northern Colorado. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
Stadium Capacity: 8,533
- ↑ UNC Style Guide (PDF). 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ↑ "Member Institutions". Big Sky Conference. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Northern Colorado Football Weekly Release, September 5, 2015" (PDF). University of Northern Colorado Athletics. p. 2. Retrieved September 4, 2015.